Aurora – Epilogue

(Daybreak on a Peaceful World)

 

Peace came to both the Ameci Region and the Thekohnian Region for years to come. After the new treaty was signed, these lands oversaw a new era of peace and an opportunity for an even better future. Amos Ahnle, who had no intention of ever becoming king in the first place, adapted quickly and became a respected leader not only in Ahnlikohn, but throughout the region.

Over in the island nation of Kikuisha, the next-in-line empress Kiku Izumi began her training. After marrying Noa Mzade, Kiku then succeeded her mother and became the youngest empress in her country’s history. People regarded her as a benevolent and sociable leader, even seeing her at the park from time to time, though she still traveled alongside her guards Ayame Hayashi and Igor Kuznetsov, who married not long after. Noa, meanwhile, continued his work in the Kikuishan tourism industry, leading to a boom in tourists from all around the world.

Luna Del Bosque’s career as a singer found roaring success once she was discovered by an Ameci manager in Admorse. She traveled all over the lands, bringing her talent to many an audience and an eventual career in the theater. Luna later met a charming man around her age and eventually married him. The two continue to tour around the world as a duet.

Pekka Varjostaa left behind his past as an ex-convict and found a purpose working with Luna’s father as a construction director. He helped rebuild many abandoned buildings in Glora, leading to many businesses establishing inside the mountain city. Pekka never did forget about Johan, but did eventually hit it off with a fellow worker. Soon after, Pekka moved to Rezar with his husband and found jobs working with Gavin Power.

Law Power and Ayanna Ansa grew to have a stable marriage. Law proved himself to be a faithful and supportive husband to Ayanna, who kept her last name. He continued his career on the stage while she became a general of the highest regard. Some have even wondered if she would eventually decide to run for prime minister. The two have a son on the way with many more planned, at least according to Law. Ayanna still continues with her work in making Iiayikohn a better place.

Gavin Power remained a single man, though his love for cooking became known across the world. Many travel in order to experience the fine cuisine for themselves and give their regards to Gavin. He has to remind himself daily not to let the praise go to his head. Alongside his work as a chef, Gavin has begun selling coffee all over the world.

Eva Bellamy quickly returned to Ameci and proceeded to assist Henry in his mayoral duties. Though she misses the days when she was a nurse, Eva soon found herself working as an advisor in Henry’s campaign for senator. She then fell in love with a journalist and the two wed eleven months afterward. She still keeps her sword in her house, though she never uses it anymore. Eva still keeps up with the other members of the Swords of Eight, though they have lives of their own as well.

Henry and Tori Randolph welcomed their daughter into the world, though he soon returned to work. As mayor, Henry saw high approval from the citizens of Admorse. This led him to pursue higher office, which in turn helped him to become senator. But Henry did not stop there as he had aspirations of presidency and of helping Ameci and its people. His two sons followed in his footsteps, with one becoming an up-and-coming junior lieutenant and the other attending law school. Tori, meanwhile, still keeps up with Rohan Fercewend’s wife Laila and wonders when Fercewend will finish serving his time.

Rain Zano Thedam became regarded as a highly popular leader and well beloved by her citizens. She was able to lead effectively in organizing the treaty and has helped humanitarian efforts all throughout the Thekohnian Region. Her consort, Mina Rask, became the trainer for a newly formed Royal Guard, and her strength became well known to many across the region. The two live a happy life together and occasionally travel the countryside by themselves. Rain’s sister and Mina’s mother became quick friends, while Drake still continues his work as a locksmith in Rezar. Mina still visits him often.

No one ever saw Johan Kuu again, though some have said that the Moonlit Silence still continues their work behind the scenes. Whether or not Johan was able to see the results of his work was unknown. Sorin still wonders about him and surmises to himself that Johan is still out there somewhere. Whether or not that is true, however, is another case. But no one ever forgot about Johan, even as the years went by.

Sorin and Gale quickly got married after their trip and she took his name. Gale then proceeded to leave the Kunigunde name entirely behind and renamed her father’s company. As the owner and president of Wilk-Hudde, Gale turned the company around and it quickly became the number one name in travel, with plans of flight becoming a possibility. Off work, she and Sorin spend as much time as they can together.

Sorin Wilk, meanwhile, sought a career in art. He soon became well known for his paintings, but remained in Ameci so he could support his wife. His friends come to visit him time to time and he does much the same. Still, though, he chose to stay in Ameci with Gale and the two have a happy and healthy marriage. Sorin knows that none of this could have been possible without everyone’s support. Each night, Sorin looks up to the sky and wonders if his family can see him, but he knows that they would be happy with the man he has become. To this day, Sorin Wilk looks on Ameci with a beaming smile upon his face.

 

The End

 

Previous | END

Aurora – Chapter 50 (Part 1)

[15th of May, 2741 AD; The Royal Kingdom of Thekohn – Inside Thedam Castle Hall]

 

“Happy birthday, Gavin!” Mina exclaimed.

Gavin chuckled. “You honestly didn’t need to do all this,” he said, shaking his head. “A simple gathering would have sufficed.”

“Oh, Gavvy, come on and be happy,” Kiku said. “We’ve all gathered here to celebrate not just your birthday, but because you became a chef, too!”

“Is it really necessary?” Gavin asked. “It’s not as if all of you will have the time to come and see the restaurant.”

“We’re all just happy for you, bro,” Law said. “After all, you went out and made something of yourself!”

Everyone gathered at the castle to celebrate Gavin’s success in addition to it being his birthday. Sorin and Gale had arrived the day prior in order to meet with everyone and catch up on what they were doing. The next day, everyone planned out a surprise party for Gavin in the main hall of Thedam Castle, even though it looked as if Gavin was fully aware of what was going on. The smile on his face as Dustin and Gamel brought out the celebratory banner made it difficult for Sorin not to laugh out loud.

However, despite the abundance of people in the castle, there were a couple of people that did not make it. Henry was not able to attend, which Sorin understood because he wanted to be with Tori in order to witness the birth of his daughter. The other person that did not come to the castle, however, was Johan. In fact, Sorin still had not heard from Johan ever since he went to see Dia in her home. By the time he and Gale arrived, Dia stated that Johan had already left Ameci the day before. All Sorin could do at that point was to tell Dia to let him know when Johan returned, but as time began to pass, no message of any sort came about. 

“Wilkie, are you and Gigi just going to stand there?” Kiku asked.

Sorin snapped out of his thoughts. “Oh, what’s up?”

“We’re heading to the ballroom,” Kiku replied. “Come on and join us! It’s going to be a lot of fun if you do!”

“Let’s do that,” Gale said.

“Go on ahead,” Sorin said. “There’s something that I want to talk to Rain about.”

Kiku rushed up to Gale and grabbed her hand. “Seriously, Wilkie, there’s even going to be a band,” she said. “I think Gab’s going to make her big debut as a singer, too!”

“I don’t want to make you guys wait,” Sorin said.

“Let’s just go, Kiku,” Gale said. “We can save a seat for Sorin.”

“It seems you don’t mind if I take your girlfriend for a bit,” Kiku said. “Okay then, I’ll take care of her until you arrive.”

With that, Kiku whisked Gale away to the ballroom. Everyone else began to head towards there as well, leaving Sorin to seek out Rain. She had to be upstairs, so Sorin decided to go up and look for her. He found her standing on the balcony outside and greeted her, to which she waved back.

“Are you not interested in the party?” Rain asked.

“Of course I am,” Sorin replied. “But I thought that you were going to be there as well.”

“You wanted to talk to me,” Rain said.

“Just curious about everything regarding the summit,” Sorin said. “I heard that the talks are going well with Amos.”

“So far, we’ve set out some ideas,” Rain replied. “After all that’s happened, Amos understands what needs to be done. It hasn’t been completely easy, but our talks have been effective.”

“That’s good to hear,” Sorin said.

“In fact, I’ve even had some cooperation from President Hasker,” Rain said. “It came as quite a surprise to be honest.”

“Do you think it has to do with his relation to Foundation?” Sorin asked.

“He did express regret about what happened,” Rain said. “Hasker knew he was being used, but if he truly does feel sorry, then we shouldn’t have a problem in trying to reach an agreement.”

“I guess we’ll have to see, then,” Sorin said.

“I’d like to have faith in him,” Rain said. “The main problem has been taken care of, so all that’s left is what we can do to make sure something like that never happens again.”

Sorin agreed. “It’ll be a future to look forward to.”

“I truly can’t thank you enough,” Rain replied. “You’ve been an invaluable ally and friend, as has everybody else.”

“Shouldn’t I be the one thanking you?” Sorin asked. “You stood by my side even when the pressure mounted. If not for you and the kingdom, there would’ve been no place for me while Harold Mars conducted his business as usual.”

“What matters is that we came out of that with the chance to change our world for the better,” Rain said. “I already know that Gale’s going to contribute so much to help make people happy.”

“It’s surprising how much can change in a few months,” Sorin said. “I never would’ve guessed we’d be able to use that industry, much less use it for good.”

“I look forward to seeing what Gale will do with it,” Rain said.

“So am I,” Sorin replied.

“Since we’re on this topic, perhaps you can answer my question,” Rain said. “About you and Gale, I mean.”

“What is it?” Sorin asked.

“You and Gale are going on a long trip, right,” Rain said, “So what I want to know is—and this can just be between us—when is the wedding?”

“Oh, I don’t know exactly,” Sorin replied. “Neither of us do, really. We just had a certain goal in mind and based it off of that.”

“So it’ll be when you’re done traveling?” Rain asked.

“That’s basically it,” he said.

“Well, if you need a place to plan, you’ve always got here,” Rain said. “I know it just sounds like I’m just renting out the castle for all sorts of events, but you’re my friend and I want to make you feel welcome whenever you’re here. Just remember that.”

“I will,” Sorin said. “Whenever the time comes, I’ll be sure to let you know.”

Rain smiled. “That’s good.”

“Now I gotta ask you,” Sorin said. “It’s only fair, after all.”

“About Mina and I?” Rain asked. “Well, she and I have already picked out a date for that.”

“You have?”

“But I’ll let you and Gale know in due time,” Rain said. “That’s part of the deal, I’d say.”

“I guess that’s fair,” Sorin replied.

“I’m glad we agree,” Rain said. “Now let’s go and see what everyone’s up to. I don’t want to miss Gavin’s party, do you?”

“Let’s go,” Sorin said.

They went downstairs together and headed directly towards the ballroom. Inside, Sorin and Rainwatched the event unfold as everybody celebrated Gavin’s accomplishment. He sat at the table by the side with Law, Mina, Ayanna, and Gale as Sorin and Rain went over to join the group. At the table next to them sat Kiku and Noa, while Ayame and Igor were busy talking with Dustin and Gamal. Sorin took a seat next to Gale while Mina teased Gavin about his sunglasses.

“It’s not like I’m going to take them for too long,” Mina said. “I just want to know what I look like in them!”

“That’s not happening,” Gavin replied. “I don’t take these sunglasses off for anyone, not even you, Mina.”

“Aw come on,” Mina said.

“He’s pretty strict about his shades,” Law said. “Perhaps you shouldn’t be pressuring him.”

“So you’ve never taken them off?” Ayanna wondered. “Not even when you go to sleep?”

“What an asinine question,” Gavin said. “Of course I do!”

“Maybe you should just entertain Mina on her request,” Rain said. “It’s not as if it’ll be the end of the world if we saw you without your sunglasses.”

“Give me a break,” Gavin said. “I already told you I’m not going to.”

“It does seem a little silly to be so adamant about it,” Gale said. “There’s not that much sunlight in here, anyway.”

Gavin turned his head. “My answer remains the same,” he said. “I’m not taking them off.”

“It’s a shame,” Kiku said. “I bet you’d look really cool even without them.”

“What makes you think that?” Gavin asked.

Just as Gavin asked that question, Mina reached from behind and took off Gavin’s sunglasses. He turned around and found that she had already put them on and crossed her arms.

“Look at me, I’m Gavin!” Mina exclaimed, trying her best to imitate Gavin’s deep voice. “I never take my sunglasses off, not even when I shower!”

“Give them back!” Gavin said, covering his eyes.

Everyone had a small laugh as Mina took off the sunglasses and handed them back over to Gavin. Once he had his sunglasses back on, he breathed a sigh and looked over to Sorin.

“Stop smiling already,” Gavin said. “The ‘joke’ is already over, so why don’t we just move on?”

“I gotta admit it was pretty funny, though,” Law said. “This is your party, bro! Have a little fun!”

“You think I’m not?” Gavin asked.

“Well, sometimes, it’s hard to tell with you,” Gale said.

“Then I guess I’ll just have to show you how I have fun,” Gavin said. “Why don’t we get the band to play a tune, Rain?”

“That’s up to them,” Rain answered. “But I think Luna’s actually going to sing soon.”

“She is?” Law asked. “I guess Luna’s worked up the courage to take on the stage, after all.”

“It’ll be her first time in front of this many people,” Kiku said. “I talked with her just before the party started and she seemed so nervous, it was so cute!”

“God, having to do that in a place like this sounds awful,” Noa said. “I don’t envy her at all.”

“When you hear her sing, you might change your tune, Nona,” Kiku said. “Then again, I love you most when you’re so sweet and shy!”

She huddled together with Noa as the band stopped. Everyone watched as Luna made her way onto the stage in a purple dress. Sorin had heard her singing voice before, but did not know how her debut was going to go. Before she began singing, Pekka joined the group at the table and took a seat near Gavin.

“I can only assume she’s beyond terrified up there on stage,” Pekka said, “So let’s be supportive.”

“Got it,” Sorin said.

Luna stood behind the microphone and looked around. “Hello everybody… Um, my name’s Luna,” she said. “I… I wanted to greet you all because I wanted to sing for you…”

Everyone in the ballroom clapped as Luna smiled. Sorin watched as Luna waved back and set her sights on his group. She nodded her head and appeared to take a deep breath. Once she opened her eyes, Luna looked back at the band and then back to the rest of the room.

“But that’s not the only reason we’re here,” Luna said. “We’re here to help celebrate an important friend’s birthday. Gavin, am I doing okay?”

Gavin gave a thumbs up in response.

“And I don’t want to take any of this away from you, either, but there’s so many people I’ve gotta thank,” Luna said. “That can wait for later, though; you guys want to hear me, right?”

Everyone clapped again.

“Got ya,” Luna replied. “Well, Gavin, I hope you enjoy this one most of all. I don’t have a name for this song just yet as I wrote the lyrics just last night, but I hope you like it anyway because I really worked hard on it, so let’s begin!”

As the band broke into an upbeat, powerful tune, Sorin sat back with Gale as everyone else listened. Sorin was happy to see Luna get a handle on her nerves and sing with confidence as she captivated the entire ballroom with her singing. The party continued into the night with multiple celebrations and a reassurance that everything was good. Nothing could deter Sorin and his friends from the fun they had, temporary as it may be. It was a night no one wanted to see end.

 

To be continued…

 

Previous | Next Part

Aurora – Chapter 48 (Part 1)

[2nd of January, 2740 AD; in the alleys of Gel Heights, Rezar, Iiayikohn – Nano District]

 

“You’re completely surrounded,” Mina said to Harold. “No matter what you try to do, we’re not going to let you get away! You’re going to pay for everything you’ve done!”

Sorin and the others had Harold surrounded. At either end of the alley, it was going to be a tough time for Harold to try to escape. But Sorin was not about to call it a victory just yet. Harold had thrived all this time by being out of grasp of the heroes and had the capability to flee once more should the opportunity arise. That was why Sorin kept his sword out and pointed it at Harold. No doubt could remain in Sorin’s mind any longer; he had to end this fight.

“So what’s it going to be?” Law asked. “You try and run again and we’ll just keep chasing you.”

“He’s got something, that’s for sure,” Johan said. “All this time you called the shots from within the shadows, but now that you’re out in the open, you’ve all but given yourself up.”

“You believe I’ve given up, then,” Harold replied. “Nonsense!”

Harold threw a punch at the wall to his left, creating another large gap. He ran into the hole as Sorin gave chase. Mina and Law followed after him, but Sorin had to focus on what was ahead. As Sorin made his way through the dark, damp, abandoned hallway, he heard the destructive sound of structures crumbling. He had to be getting close to Harold now, but that was when Sorin realized that it was not just Harold escaping.

“Damn it, we can’t just stay here,” Sorin said. “Mina! Law! Let’s hurry back before it’s too late!”

But as Sorin turned around, a large amount of debris fell from above and blocked his path out. He had to trust in Mina and Law to escape, but could not confirm their safety. After all, this was what Harold wanted and Sorin could only express anger that he did not see the trap sooner.

“Whether or not they leave is not my worry,” Harold said. “But now I’ve got a good chance to finally end you myself! Enjoy your burial!”

Sorin had one choice. It was the only one he could take if he were to get out of the collapsing building alive, but it carried a risk as well. Harold hid within the darkness once again, but to Sorin, what mattered most was his own life. He could not let everyone now, nor could he grant Harold the chance of escape. With all of the building beginning to crumble, Sorin ran forward.

“Yes, come closer,” Harold said. “No matter what you do, I’ll be right here to deliver your much needed silence!”

“Not going to happen!” Sorin replied.

Sorin’s chance revealed itself. Harold was in his line of sight now, and all Sorin had to do now was strike. The slight gleam of the moonlight helped Sorin to see his assailant standing before him, even with the shroud of darkness covering him. With momentum at his side, Sorin swung his sword. The clash of metal rang out as Harold defended himself. However, Sorin knew he was not about to settle for a mere standoff. He had to take the moment.

“If anyone falls here, it’ll be you,” Sorin said. “This is not just for me, but for everyone else! For my family, my friends, and all the people you’ve hurt, I’ll end this fight myself!”

“Do you truly believe you’ll break through?” Harold asked. “I’d like to see you try!”

Sorin needed not another word. He had this. With all of the strength put into his sword, Sorin turned it as Harold struggled to hold him off. Then, Harold broke away and backed off as he tried to catch his breath. Sorin needed just one more hit. He lifted up his leg and sent a roundhouse kick, hitting Harold with just enough strength to knock him to the ground. Then, Sorin looked to the window next to him and leapt through it.

“Not enough time for him to escape,” Sorin said.

He dashed as fast as he could away from the building. Sorin kept running until he made it onto the street several meters away. Everyone else waited there as well as they all observed the building collapsing to the ground. As it did, Gale was quick to greet Sorin with a hug. It was all over, Sorin thought.

“I’m so happy you made it,” Gale said.

“Believe me, I had to keep moving,” Sorin said. “But it seems like you guys are all here.”

“Yeah, once you shouted to us what was happening, we started to turn and run,” Law said. “I really wanted to head back in there, but I just knew you had it all in the bag.”

“We were both really ready to go and help you out,” Mina said. “It was Law who wanted to run, but I knew that I could trust you to make some sort of daring escape!”

Mina patted Sorin on the back while Law just shrugged. Sorin still could not believe that it really was over but with his friends surrounding him, he had to assume that the battle had been won. Even someone like Harold could not get out of the wreckage that he had created. Still, there was much to be done. Sorin saw Johan move closer to the site of the wreck as Gale looked to him.

“It’s probably nothing,” Gale said, separating herself from Sorin. “I’m sure he’s only taking a look, right Johan?”

Johan observed the wreckage and sighed. “Perhaps I’m imagining things,” he said. “This truly does seem to be the end, after all.”

“Come on, Johan, there’s no way that anyone could possibly survive having an entire building collapse on them,” Luna said. “Even a scary freak like that has to be dead!”

“You’re right,” Johan replied. “It was just a silly thought.”

“You’ve got quite the definition of that word there,” Pekka said.

“Guess we’re all still taking it in,” Dustin said. “Sorin especially, since he had one hell of a fight!”

“If only I could have seen it myself,” Gavin said. “You did real good, Sorin. I know that somewhere out there, Kirk and Rysol are proud of what you’ve become in such a short time.”

“I was going to say the same thing,” Eva said. “But now he can rest happy… It’s finally over.”

“So I guess we should head back and see how Ayanna’s holding up, right?” Law asked. “Since it appears we all agree that everything’s done here, we can just go.”

“Right, just because Harold’s finished doesn’t mean everything else is,” Gale said. “Which means we should inform Rain about what happened here as well as what we’re supposed to do next.”

“Oh, she’s got ideas,” Mina said. “After everything’s taken care of, we can go and have a huge victory party!”

“Yeah, I’m sure it’ll be nice,” Johan said. “I’m sure Jelka would have wanted me to go ahead and celebrate, too.”

“Well, what are we waiting for?” Dustin asked. “Let’s go on and get out of this place!”

Everyone agreed and headed in the direction of the Deca District. However, Sorin stopped as he noticed that Johan began to lag behind. Sorin turned to the others and informed them that he would catch up with them soon. Whatever it was that Johan was thinking about, Sorin knew that he had to ask. With just him and Johan by themselves, it was only a matter of time until Sorin needed to find out for himself. Johan went over to the motorcycle and looked over the wreck one more time as Sorin confronted him.

“What are you doing?” Sorin asked.

“Tell me something, buddy,” Johan said. “What do you plan to do now?”

“I’ll figure it out,” Sorin replied. “Why do you ask?”

“I wonder… If it’s all truly over, then why do I feel like I’m incomplete? Is it because of the fact that Foundation is no more? Or is it because this goal of mine is finally being realized?”

“Well, maybe because this goal is in reach is why you don’t know what to do next,” Sorin said. “But it doesn’t mean that you can stop. There’s plenty that you could do now that this is over.”

“I probably agree with that,” Johan said. He looked over to the wreck once again. “Did you hear that?”

Sorin shook his head. “Is something wrong?”

“Just listen,” Johan replied.

Sorin did what Johan said and kept an ear out while focusing on the wreck. He was not sure what to listen for, but he had a bad feeling about what was going to happen next. Then, a rustle caught Sorin’s attention. The light sound of objects moving around made Sorin nervous as he hovered his hand above the handle of his sword. Johan prepared himself, also, as the two men watched piece after piece fly up into the air as the sound grew louder. A loud roar erupted as a metal hand emerged from underneath, the voice familiar to Sorin’s ears.

“It’s not over!?” Sorin asked.

“Get ready,” Johan said. “I knew I wasn’t imagining it.”

Harold leapt out from under the wreckage with his sights set on Sorin and Johan. Sorin took out his sword while Johan stayed by his side. Everything that they had fought for still remained at stake as the battle with Harold proved itself unfinished. However, now Sorin truly did have to complete this fight with only Johan to support him.

“To think you’d call victory before it was over, Sorin Wilk,” Harold said. “I will make you regret your cocky words!”

Harold rushed at the two and screamed. Sorin had to fight. He knew that he had been exhausted, but the same had to hold true for Harold as well. Johan stepped in as he tried to shield Sorin from Harold’s attack. Harold, however, had only Sorin in his sights.

“Out of my way, you pathetic lowlife!” Harold exclaimed as he smacked Johan to the side and left him lying in a heap. “It’s him I’m after!”

Sorin checked to the side of the other building. “Johan!”

It was enough of a gap for Harold to have an opening. Sorin found himself unable to defend as Harold grabbed him by the neck with both hands and lifted him off the ground. As Sorin struggled to breathe, Harold laughed.

“This is the only end to this fight,” Harold said. “To make you suffer… I’m going to enjoy watching you fight for what little breath you’ve got left!”

“Better think again!” Gavin yelled.

Two shots rang out and struck Harold in the head. Blood spurted from his forehead as the sudden shock caused Harold to drop Sorin. With some of Harold’s blood on his clothes, Sorin regained his breathing as he checked up on Johan.

“Johan… Johan, answer me!” Sorin said, shoving him.

“Don’t worry about me,” Johan said. “Worry about them…”

Sorin turned around. Gavin and Eva had shown up ready to fight as Harold remained still. He twitched as more blood splashed onto the ground while Gavin continued to have his gun trained on him.

“To be honest with you, I’ve never killed someone before this,” Gavin said. “But there’s always a first, especially for a piece of shit like you.”

“He’s done,” Eva said.

Harold coughed up blood. “Sorin Wilk… What a delight,” he said. “Sorin, I don’t mind it one bit if you watch…”

“How can you still be alive?” Sorin asked.

“It doesn’t matter if I live or die anymore,” Harold replied. “Right now, I’m just going to make you suffer! I’ll carry you down to hell with me if I have to, but first I’ll make you feel complete and total despair!”

Harold faced Sorin, who was still on his knees. But what Harold had in mind was different as he lifted up the motorcycle next to Sorin and threw it at Eva and Gavin.

“Look out!” Sorin exclaimed.

On instinct, Gavin and Eva leapt out of the way. The motorcycle struck the ground and broke in half. However, Gavin slipped and fell to the ground while Eva tried to regain her composure. But Sorin could tell that Harold was far from done. Harold had an unrelenting force as he charged towards Eva. Sorin needed to get back up on his feet.

“You two made a grave mistake,” Harold said. “Now I’m going to end it all right here!”

“We’re not finished, Harold!” Sorin said as he stood up.

Harold stopped and turned around. “So you want me to hurry it up, don’t you? Well, I suppose I can give you friends a chance to run like the dogs they are while I kill you.”

“That’s what you want to think,” Eva said. “But we’re going to stay. We’re going to keep on fighting until you’re defeated.”

“And we’re sure as hell aren’t to lose to you,” Gavin said. “I’ll be damned if I let an asshole like you run away.”

“Do you understand?” Johan asked. “We’re not going to surrender here. Not to you.”

“So be it,” Harold said. “Right now, it’s just Sorin and I, but I’m going to give you hell afterwards.”

“Then face me,” Sorin said. “I won’t settle until I see you on the ground, so you better bring everything you’ve got!”

“Those cocky words again,” Harold replied. “Very well, if you want to skip the suffering, I’ll be glad to finish you off right here!”

Sorin just needed one strike. A single move would end the fight and put an end to Harold and his schemes. Everything rode on a single swing of Sorin’s blade as he readied himself. There was no excuse not to use all his efforts into this one move he had left. After all, Sorin did not expect Harold to hold back.

“Bring it,” Sorin said.

Without another thought, Sorin flew at Harold. Harold dashed at Sorin. The two came closer and closer until they were less than two feet apart. Sorin swung his sword and struck true. He delivered a deep hit to Harold’s chest. With the hit complete, Sorin moved out of the way and rolled over near Gavin. Harold stood still as Sorin watched.

“That should be it,” Sorin said.

However, Harold laughed.

“Idiot! I’ve yet to be done with you,” he replied. “I’m going to kill you where you stand!”

But Harold did not turn around. He remained in place as Sorin got up and sheathed his sword. Gavin stood up, too, as Sorin tried to process what would happen next. He had delivered the final blow as Harold was not moving, but he had to wonder what would happen now.

“Impossible,” Harold said. “I… I can’t move! My legs! My… My arms! I can’t move a single limb!”

Sorin then heard a small explosion. Smoke emanated out of Harold’s body as he continued to stand frozen in place. It could only have been the technology inside Harold’s body that had gone haywire, Sorin speculated. After a few more seconds, the smoke cleared as Harold fell face first into the ground with a loud, clanging thud.

“Is it finally over?” Gavin asked.

“It has to be,” Eva said.

Sorin had to know. He went over to Harold’s body and checked for a pulse. As he suspected, Harold did not have one. It was over. The battle had been won and Foundation was no more. Sorin put away his sword as he breathed a sigh of relief. For his father and Rysol, Sorin had avenged them. For everyone else, it was a relief that Sorin could help them make their dreams realized.

“That’s right,” Sorin said, a tear rolling down the side of his face. “It’s finally finished.”

 

To be continued…

 

Previous | Next Part

Aurora – Chapter 47 (Part 2)

[2nd of January, 2741 AD; up on the rooftops in Gel Heights, Rezar, Iiayikohn – Nano District]

 

Gavin pursued Harold Mars atop the building. He and Law looked around to find the ruthless man himself, but only found Eva and Mina in wait on top of the neighboring building. The fact that Harold could not be found baffled Gavin, but he remained on the trail. Harold had to be hiding somewhere amongst the rooftops and Gavin knew that he was going to find him sooner rather than later. Law stuck by as the two scoped out the immediate area.

“You two saw him, didn’t you?” Law asked Eva and Mina.

“I’m sorry to say that we did not,” Eva replied. “It’s unfortunate, but it looks as if Harold is just out of our reach.”

“We did hear that explosive noise, though,” Mina said. “Surely we can use that to find him!”

“Damn it, has this monster evaded us?” Gavin asked, tightening the grip on his gun. “We know you’re hiding somewhere, so it’s no use trying to evade us!”

“Getting loud may not be the best option,” Law said. “If we really want to find this guy, bro, then we’ve got to start looking.”

“Even someone like him has limits,” Eva said. “It doesn’t matter what he’s got, Harold will have to show himself soon enough.”

“Let’s start looking,” Mina said. “Nothing is impossible if we take a look around the area!”

Gavin traced his steps back to the door. That could only be the way up to the roof as no other route existed. As he tried to deduce Harold’s method, Gavin recalled the situation back in the room where he and Law joined up with Sorin and Johan. Two possible locations existed, yet it was unlikely Harold would try to descend to the streets.

“Come on, think,” Gavin said. “Where is he right now?”

It was then that Gavin realized a new possibility: Harold went through the hole in the floor, but did not go all the way downstairs. From that, there was one way Harold could go up, Gavin thought.

“Is it so?” Gavin asked himself.

“You look like you’re on to something,” Law said.

“Lawrence, keep yourself alert,” Gavin said. “That spreads to both of you, as well. There’s only one way for our enemy to hide right now!”

“So you figured it out too,” Law said. “Didn’t think a man his age would be able to pull it off, but I guess that’s what makes him so formidable.”

“But now that we know, we’ve got the upper hand,” Eva said. “Somewhere along the walls of these buildings, Harold is clinging on.”

It was the only explanation. Gavin tracked the edges of the building as he tried to find any trace of Harold. He would have to emerge sooner or later, Gavin thought as he continued to focus on Harold’s next move. It was then that Harold laughed, his deep cackle echoing in the alleys below.

“You’re not nearly as idiotic as you appear,” Harold said.

Gavin looked around to find him, but still could not find a single trace of Harold. At that moment, a loud, destructive crash broke out as Gavin turned to his left and aimed his gun forward. Law readied himself as well. Another crash rang out as Harold leapt over the edge of the building. His shirt had been torn in a couple of places, but overall he remained the same as before.

“Step back!” Gavin ordered Law.

Gavin wasted no time. He fired off three shots at Harold, all three hitting him in the chest. Harold stopped and clutched where he was shot as Gavin kept his line of sight trained on him. As Gavin continued to hold Harold at gunpoint, Harold laughed once more.

“It appears I was wrong,” Harold said. “You’re as every bit half witted as I thought!”

“I shot you three times, asshole!” Gavin exclaimed. “How the hell could you laugh at a time like this?”

Harold guffawed. “It’s hopeless to try and stop me,” he said, unbuttoning his shirt. “Your efforts are all for naught!”

Gavin could not believe what stood before him. Where he had shot Harold was in what appeared to be a metallic plate that covered the entirety of his chest. He saw the small bullets lodged within the metal, further proving what Harold said was true. However, Gavin knew that Harold was wrong about one thing in particular and he was going to show him that.

“All that means is that I’ve gotta change my target,” Gavin said. “Thanks for giving me the hint!”

“Unfortunately for you, you won’t have another chance!” Harold exclaimed as he charged at Gavin and Law.

“Look out!” Eva said.

Gavin cocked his gun again. “I just need one shot.”

Harold, however, threw down his fist at the ground. The explosive impact caused debris to fly up, distracting Gavin as he tried to get a good shot in. Law then decided to tackle Gavin to the floor, both men getting out of the way as Eva and Mina jumped in. As everything began to clear, the four surrounded Harold as he had nowhere to run.

“You really are so concerned, aren’t you Lawrence?” Gavin asked as he got up to his feet. “No matter. It looks like we’ve got this prick cornered.”

“Don’t underestimate him,” Eva said. “I’m sure we all would like to have a crack at this despicable excuse of a human, but he’s far from done.”

“You all think you’re ahead of me,” Harold said. “I’ve already shown you why it’s foolish to fight me.”

“Why don’t you just shove it, you fiend,” Mina replied. “You can’t run nor hide from us anymore! You can’t even attack!”

“I can’t attack?” Harold asked. “What a marvelously foolish remark! Dare to put that theory to the test?”

“You won’t get a chance,” Eva said.

“The moment you showed your pathetic face was the moment you lost, don’t forget that,” Gavin said. “Because once you make your move, I’m going right for the head!”

Harold did not respond and lowered his head.

“What’s the matter?” Law asked. “Are you already out of excuses to try and justify yourself?”

“I must thank you,” Harold replied. “You gave me just enough time.”

“Just enough time?” Mina asked. “There’s no time for you at all!”

A sudden realization hit Gavin. He remembered how Harold escaped to the roof, throwing down his fist at the ground much like he did moments ago. Gavin could only see smoke after that happened, which helped in Harold’s escape. The scene was the same as before, only under different circumstances. That sudden realization alerted Gavin to what Harold was going to do next. But Harold threw down his fist at the ground first.

“Everyone, look out!” Gavin exclaimed.

Smoke appeared from where Harold punched as everything clouded up for Gavin and the others. It was both Harold’s escape and method of attacking, Gavin thought. That was why it was important to remain on the defensive until the smoke cleared out.

“He can’t get away!” Mina said.

“Don’t worry,” Eva said, “I’m not going to let him do that.”

“So this is how he responds,” Law said. “Like a coward, he uses obscurity to try and attack us while we’re not looking!”

“Very perceptive,” Harold said. “It looks like you’re catching on and that’s exactly why I can’t let you live!”

Gavin had to take a chance. Out of him, Law, Mina, and Eva, there was only a one-in-four chance of guessing who Harold would attack first. There would be no room for error; however, Harold’s words gave Gavin a clue. Strong as they may be, Harold had one easy target. A target that Gavin was confident would be able to defend, but Gavin knew that he could not afford to give Harold any sort of chance at attacking.

“I’ve found you!” Gavin said.

He hurried over in the direction of Law’s voice and threw his fist out in a horizontal motion. Gavin could not risk it with a bullet, so he settled on his next best option. The strike proved to work as the smoke started to clear out as Gavin caught a glimpse of Harold. Gavin had landed a successful strike upon Harold’s face as the two were in a standoff with Law bearing witness to the scene.

“That’s the bro I know,” Law said. “Acting upon that instinct really did you some good, though it did much more for me in the end.”

“I-Impossible,” Harold said. “Just how? How were you able to see through the smoke?”

“I didn’t,” Gavin answered. “And it’s not as if I’m going to tell you. Besides, I’ve got you all figured out now.”

Harold uttered a parted chuckle. “That’s rich,” he said. “You figured me out like some sort of tactician? I’d laugh, but you’ve given me quite the pain.”

“Save it,” Gavin said. “You can’t attack us without trying to hide first. I’d wager that you can’t use your most devastating attack without the help of some obscurity, which was why you tried so hard to make it difficult for us to see but I managed to see through the ruse.”

“You can’t even fight fair,” Mina said. “But why should we expect you to when you’ve been hiding from us all this time?”

“Is that so?” Harold asked.

“There was no way Kirk would lose to you in a fair fight,” Eva said. “That can only mean you had to sneak up on him to kill him. I’ll never forgive you for such a cowardly act, nor will I forgive you for what you did to Kirk!”

No one said a word. What followed next was the faint sound of something rustling from below as Gavin stared Harold down. Then, Harold cracked a large smile as he looked back at Gavin.

“If it’s a fair fight you want, then it’s a fair fight you get!” Harold exclaimed.

In the span of what seemed to be less than a second, Gavin felt a sudden pain hit him in the abdomen. He dropped down to his knees as Harold withdrew his fist. Though it was nowhere near as powerful as Gavin saw before, the punch packed just enough to send pain into his body.

“Bad choice, man,” Law said. “Now it’s our turn!”

Gavin turned his head up to see Law run at Harold. On the other side, Eva and Mina helped Law in the fight. Harold kept his arms near his face and the back of his head while Gavin struggled to get up. Gavin had to get back up. It was his best bet now to look for an opening and take the next shot. However, with Law, Eva, and Mina fighting Harold, that shot would have to wait. Gavin decided to look at his gun and saw how many bullets he had left: two.

“Like I’ll need another shot,” Gavin said.

He placed his hand upon his right pocket and felt the bullets hiding within. Gavin came prepared but he also had faith in himself. The pain had all but faded by now as Gavin got up to his feet. It was just the right time, too, as Harold had pushed back against Law while keeping Eva and Mina at bay with his other hand. No room for error now, Gavin thought.

“All this strength and still you can’t get through,” Harold said. “It’s just as I expected… You stand no chance against me!”

But as Gavin lined up to take his shot, Mina leapt at Harold. She sent a kick flying towards Harold and hit him in the head as hard as she could. Mina’s kick caught Harold off guard as he went reeling back.

“Just shut up already,” Mina said, “We’re going to beat you no matter what it takes!”

“Wow, that was some kick,” Law said. “Even he’s got to feel that one.”

Everyone watched as Harold continued to stumble backwards. Gavin had him now. He refocused his shot on Harold and aimed for his head. One bullet was all that was needed.

“You’re all a bunch of idiots,” Harold said. “It seems that none of you can pay attention!”

“The fuck are you talking about?” Gavin asked.

“I’m talking about this,” Harold replied, backing up towards the edge of the building. “Now watch as I make my escape!”

Gavin realized what he meant and fired his shot without another word. But it was already too late as Harold proceeded to fall over the edge of the building down into the alleys below. Eva and Mina hurried over to where Harold fell over while Law went over to Gavin.

“How the hell can that bastard be so damn slippery?” Gavin asked. “He took a kick to the head from Mina for god’s sake! How in the fuck does he have the audacity to use that to plot his escape?”

“It’s just like that,” Law said. “He’s getting desperate, so he’s gotta use every possible path to his advantage even if it causes him harm.”

“We’re on the move,” Eva said. “Mina, you and Law continue the pursuit by following Harold. Gavin and I are going back downstairs.”

“Wait, how are we going to do that?” Mina asked.

“We use the same path he took,” Law said. “Surely there’s something that we can use to climb down. It wouldn’t make sense for a multi-story building to not have one, after all.”

“Then it’s settled,” Eva said. “Now move!”

Gavin could not be upset now. He needed to stay focused. He followed Eva as their chase continued. Harold had slipped out of their grasp, but Gavin was not about to give up just yet. He also hoped that the others would not give up, either, especially not Sorin.

 

*****

 

[2nd of January, 2740 AD; in the alleys of Gel Heights, Rezar, Iiayikohn – Nano District]

 

Sorin continued on as he, Gale, and Johan kept on the lookout for Harold. Then he heard it for himself. A succession of loud collisions filled the alleyway as Sorin tried to locate the source. Harold had proclaimed his escape a few moments prior, so Sorin had to keep on his guard. He had to for the sake of both Gale and Johan, both of whom remained unarmed.

“You can’t run from me now, Sorin Wilk!” Harold exclaimed.

As Sorin turned around, he watched as Harold leapt from the windowsill above and landed in front of him. Johan kept his distance away from Harold as did Gale. There was no use in running now, Sorin thought. Harold stood in front of him with nowhere else to go.

“I wasn’t going to run away,” Sorin said. “You like to think that you’ve got an upper hand, but it’s you who’s at a disadvantage now.”

“That’s right,” Gale said. “You stand no chance against us when we’re all united together.”

“How stupid,” Harold replied. “Do you intend to take me on then?”

“I won’t, but he can,” Gale said, looking over at Sorin. “And so will they, because your time is up.”

Just as Gale said, Mina and Law descended down from the roof by way of the nearby pipe. They stood opposite of Sorin and surrounded Harold, who now had no possible escape. Sorin needed to fight with everything he had if they were going to win, because he knew that the fight was not over yet.

 

To be continued…

 

Previous | Next Chapter

Aurora – Chapter 46 (Part 2)

[2nd of January, 2741 AD; Subdivision of Gel Heights, Rezar, Iiayikohn – Nano District]

 

“Over there,” Mina said, pointing to the motorcycle. “They’ve got to be here somewhere!”

She spotted the vehicle several feet away from the group. After walking for a few minutes, Mina and the others reached the empty streets of Gel Heights. The sight before them told everything they needed to know about where to look next. Sorin and Johan were not that far now as Mina evaluated the surrounding area and determined that the two had already found Harold Mars. But now, Mina knew that she and the others would have to decide on what action they had to take next.

“That means in one of these buildings around us, we’ll be able to find Sorin and Johan,” Gavin said. “Guess it’s a good thing that he brought that motorcycle after all.”

“We’ve got to tread carefully,” Eva said. “It wouldn’t do us good for us to go charging into one of these buildings all at once.”

“The likely answer is the most obvious one,” Law said. “Johan could’ve just stopped a few meters away, but he stopped here because he had a hunch. At least, that’s what I’m taking from this.”

“So our best option remains to surround the area,” Pekka said. “Luna and I will cover the outside here, then.”

“Yeah, we’ll wait here just in case,” Luna replied.

“I guess you two have got a hold of this,” Gavin said. “So where does that leave the rest of us?”

Gale looked up and down the building standing before her. “They’ve made their way on the inside,” she said. “So we’ve got to keep close somehow… Still, we already know how dangerous Harold is.”

“You didn’t have to follow us,” Eva said. “None of us would blame you if you wished to head back to the prime minister’s office right now.”

“Thanks, but I’ll be okay,” Gale replied.

“You’re sure about that?” Gavin asked. “I wonder where Rain’s advisor is right now… I figured he would do well in this sort of situation.”

“Oh, right, I almost forgot about him,” Law said. “Maybe he’s busy relaying the message over to Rain?”

“I don’t think you need to worry about that,” Dustin said.

Everyone looked over towards the intersection where Dustin stood. He had arrived at just the right time, Mina thought to herself. She waved to him as he ran over to where they were standing. As he got closer, Mina noticed a sword resting on Dustin’s belt to his left.

“You’re really ready for action!” Mina said.

“As ready as I’ll ever be, you know,” Dustin replied. “Don’t know how much we can do, but we only know so much about what this guy’s capable of doing.”

“That’s why we should remain cautious while proceeding forward,” Eva said. “We can’t afford to make any mistakes.”

“Then I’ll help cover the streets,” Dustin said. “That sound good to you?”

“It would be helpful,” Pekka said.

“I’ll be here, too,” Gale said.

“Okay, then let’s hurry up,” Mina said. “We’ll be there to help any way we can! Let’s make sure that that villain Harold Mars is stopped!”

“Then you and I can take the building next door,” Eva said. “There’s plenty of room for Harold to run, but we’ll get a good view of the streets if we reach the top of the building in case he tries to escape.”

“So I guess that means we head straight into the fire itself,” Law said. “That is okay with me. Let’s go, bro.”

“You don’t need to tell me that,” Gavin replied. “Right now, it’s all about us making sure that this shitbag doesn’t get the chance to escape unpunished.”

Mina knew that not another word needed to be said. She rushed into action with Eva as they went into the building next door. After Mina entered with Eva into the building, Mina looked back and saw Gavin and Law running to the other building. They had to have Harold cornered now, Mina thought. She knew that they could not afford to let Sorin and Johan down as the pursuit continued on in the subdivision of Gel Heights.

 

*****

 

[2nd of January, 2741 AD; Harold Mars’s Temporary Hideout, Rezar, Iiayikohn – Nano District]

 

The climb up to the top floor was a cautious one as Sorin felt the weight of each step in his feet. He knew there existed one option that he could not deny yet even so, Sorin was not sure if he would be able to go through with the action if it proved to be the only one remaining. Harold was beyond any redemption, Sorin knew that; however, Sorin had never used his sword to kill. He was on his way to confront the very man that was responsible for his family’s death but still had to wonder if it was the right option. As Sorin made it up to the next to last floor, he and Johan stopped as they looked for the next set of stairs.

“I know it’s not the best time to ask,” Sorin began, “But do you think it will be possible to stop him with your methods?”

“Sorin, I’ve been on this journey and have seen a lot,” Johan replied. “With what I’ve seen, it has made me think about what is and isn’t possible.”

“So what are you thinking about right now?” Sorin asked.

“Our top priority is to stop Harold Mars,” Johan answered. “If we want to make sure that Foundation has no way of resurrecting itself, we must deal with every last member of the organization. Harold is that final pillar we must take down if we are to accomplish our goal.”

“You’re right about that,” Sorin said.

“Whether or not we can get Harold to surrender means naught since he’s the one who struck first,” Johan said. “He’s been pushing back against the peace that so many have strived for, because the world he wants is one that is at war with itself. Harold Mars must be dealt with.”

“I know,” Sorin replied. “I know what must be done, but…”

“You and I have the same goal, but you’re the one who has the chance to end this,” Johan said. “This battle awaits us both and I will do what I can to help you stop him.”

“You’ve come a long way, haven’t you?” Sorin asked.

“I guess I have,” Johan said.

“There’s just one more floor we’ve got to go,” Sorin said.

“Before we move on, I’ve got one more thing,” Johan said. “Harold can try to dissuade us both however he wants, but no matter what, we must not let him get to us.”

“Got it,” Sorin replied.

“And sometimes, the only way you can bring about peace in the face of evil is to strike it directly,” Johan said. “Even if it means killing Harold, you and I both know that a world without wars would be better off without him.”

Sorin knew that what Johan said carried truth. It was also true that Harold had no qualms whatsoever about his actions, nor what he would try to do to them once they confronted him. Sorin had no need to be hesitant about the reality that stared him in the face and decided to press forward with Johan. He climbed up the stairs to the top floor, confident in his decision as well as his ability, and made it up to see the dimly lit hallway before him. Only the room at the end of the hall caught Sorin’s eye as Johan took a fateful step forward. At the end, a small beam of light emitted from the bottom underneath the door, which only meant that Harold awaited them on the other side. As the two got closer and closer to the door, Sorin kept his hand near the handle of his blade.

“Ready yourself,” Johan said as they finally made it to the door. “We don’t want to be caught off guard once we go inside.”

Sorin nodded and took out his sword. “I’m ready.”

“We’ll finish this, don’t worry,” Johan said.

Johan opened the door with fervent force. Upon arriving inside, Sorin saw Harold kneeling at the other end of the room. Next to Harold was a medium-sized object that made noise similar to an engine. As Sorin attempted to figure out what Harold was doing, Johan walked a few steps ahead before stopping. Sorin decided to follow him and went forth to where he was and stopped as well.

“It seems as if you noticed,” Harold said as he stood up. “This is only a mere sample of the sort of power I have. Unfortunately, Rysol Wilk made it difficult for me to achieve my full potential.”

“Your full potential?” Johan asked. “Just what the hell are you doing?”

“Don’t act as if you’ve no clue what a generator is,” Harold replied. “You’ve been quite the thorn to my plans, Johan Kuu.”

“This plan of yours is beyond reproach,” Johan said. “You only want to see the world crumble as you try to plunge it into another war.”

“Is that a problem?” Harold asked. “This world of mine thrives on strength and strength alone. You’d be wise to accept that fact.”

“This world doesn’t belong to you,” Sorin said.

“Leave it to you to act as if you’re superior,” Harold scoffed. “Your father died by my hand because he lacked strength. My world doesn’t need people like him infesting it.”

Sorin scowled. “You… Do you even hear what you’re saying!?”

“If you’re that mad at me, then I’d welcome you to try,” Harold replied. “But just know that you’ve got no hope against me.”

“I’m not scared of you,” Sorin said. “I’ll never be scared of someone like you who hides in the shadows like a coward!”

“Think what you want, but I only hid because it was in my better interests to do so,” Harold said. “Now, however, I am almost complete. Power is only a few moments away from me, but if you’re still willing to get in my way, then I have no problem showing you a small sample of what I gave that footling fool earlier.”

“To speak that way about your son is twisted,” Johan said. “Treating him as if he were only a tool… That’s inhuman.”

“Please, don’t act as if you cared about him,” Harold replied. “Useless trash like him die because they outlive their utility. He had long passed that point only because I wanted to prove to you both the point of how hopeless it is to stand up against me.”

“It doesn’t matter how much you try to intimidate us,” Sorin said. “We’re not going to back down, no matter what you try to do!”

Harold laughed. “Then I’ll be glad to show you the true hopelessness that you’ve resigned yourselves to,” he said. “And one I’m done with you, this world will run by my methods. No one in Ameci or the Thekohnian Region will be able to deny my pure strength once I’m through with the likes of you!”

The generator stopped. Sorin stood ready as Johan did the same. Nothing but calm determination and rage ran through Sorin’s mind as he thought about his father and Rysol and the pain that both had suffered before they died. He knew that they, as well as everybody else affected by Harold, suffered for years due to this man’s brand of pain. Sorin was ready to put an end to that pain right now and knew that he had valuable allies on his side. He knew that Johan would assist him in any way he could. Sorin knew that they were going to win no matter what and Harold had no chance against them. Sorin knew that because he could not afford to let everyone down. Sorin knew because he was ready to fight.

 

To be continued…

 

Previous | Next Chapter

Aurora – Chapter 45 (Part 2)

[2nd of January, 2741 AD; New Prime Minister’s Office, Rezar, Iiayikohn – Deca District]

 

“And that’s why Her Majesty has left the choice up to me?” Reiss asked. “Interesting.”

Everyone gathered in the prime minister’s room as Reiss stood by the filing cabinet. A group of people had gathered out on the streets to celebrate Dezine’s removal from power, yet it was only the beginning of what was to be a new era in Iiayikohn. Mina knew that everything had rested on Reiss to make the choice and she, as well as Eva, Luna, and Pekka, watched the general speak with Ayanna and Dierk.

“What are your thoughts about it, sir?” Dierk asked.

The general gazed at the empty desk. “I’d planned myself for retirement in the next couple of years, but right now Iiayikohn needs a leader,” he said. “This may not be so sudden to you, Ayanna, but I am wondering if you’d be willing to lend me a hand.”

“Of course I would,” Ayanna replied.

“Obviously, I will only act as prime minister until we’ve elected someone to take the reins,” Reiss said. “That time comes soon, you know.”

“If I recall, Iiayikohn’s election is less than two years from now,” Eva said. “I’m sure that this will be a great test for you, but if anyone can do what Alan did, then that person is you.”

“Alan did always strive towards fulfilling the needs of the people,” Reiss said. “However, I am not Alan. I cannot assure that I can ever hope to accomplish what he has, but I will do my damnedest to try.”

“I think that’s all we’re asking for,” Mina said. “Alan Berry was a great hero and I know it’s hard to do what he did, but everyone here believes in you!”

“That is true,” Ayanna said. “You got to where you are because of the fact that people trusted and believed in your ability as a leader. I’ve no doubt in my mind that you could use some of that leadership to do what Alan did.”

“I’ve no hesitations in taking this job,” Reiss replied. “Once I’ve filed in all of the necessary paperwork and spoken with the board, I’ll be sworn in as the next prime minister.”

“Sounds like a long night,” Pekka said.

“Given that we’ve gone through this not long ago, I’m sure the transition will be much more swift,” Reiss said. “That reminds me: Ayanna, have you and Dierk informed the soldiers?”

“We did,” Ayanna replied.

“I’m hoping we’ll be able to organize quickly,” Dierk said. “If what Mr. Kuu said is true, then we’ll have to keep our heads up.”

“Let’s worry about what we can do here,” Reiss said.

“Then what about Isaac Kunigunde?” Luna asked. “Though I guess we still have to hear from the others about that, don’t we?”

“I think our time here is done,” Eva said. “Ayanna, I assume that you and Dierk are going to handle everything with Reiss.”

“That would be correct,” Ayanna replied.

“Then we should go and see if we can’t catch up with the others,” Eva said. “Mina, I think we know where we should start.”

“Of course!” Mina said, pumping her fist. “But you should lead the way so we can get there faster.”

“So you’re telling me that you don’t know, Mina,” Eva replied. “That’s fine, then.”

Mina followed Eva as they hurried downstairs. Luna and Pekka followed them down until they made it to the front doors. Where they were going to next, Mina was not sure, but she knew that they had to run into the others. But as Mina and the others exited the building, they saw an interesting sight.

“Over there!” Mina exclaimed. “Is that Sorin?”

She looked over at the nearby intersection as a motorcycle passed through. The engine’s roar was recognizable as the sound left an remarkable impression upon everyone. However, the motorcycle flew by too fast for Mina to get a clear view, but she was certain that she saw Sorin and Johan on the vehicle. Eva looked to where Mina was, but by that time the two had already left the scene.

“It seems like they’ve got a good idea where to start looking,” Eva said.

“So they’re on the chase,” Pekka said. “Where are they headed?”

“It looked as if they were headed towards the Nano District,” Mina replied. “I’m not exactly sure how far they’ll go, so maybe we should follow after them!”

“We’ll get tired if we go by foot,” Luna said. “Is there any other way?”

“I don’t think that will be needed,” Eva answered. “There’s only one reason why they’re headed towards that district: to take on Harold Mars.”

“By themselves?” Luna asked. “That’s dangerous, though!”

“It is,” Eva said. “But Sorin and Johan must know that as well.”

“Johan has an idea,” Pekka said. “He wouldn’t pursue Harold unless he had something planned.”

“I think he’s depending on all of us,” Mina said. “That’s got to be the reason why he and Sorin would go it alone! This is all to have us join in at just the right time so we can finally defeat this evil man once and for all!”

“Which is to say we’re working at Johan’s whim again,” Law said.

Mina turned over to the direction of Law’s voice and saw him at the other end of the sidewalk along with Gavin and Gale. It was a surprise how quick they were to arrive, but Mina was enthused to see them all the same.

“That was quick,” Eva said.

“We had to get moving,” Law replied. “We do have to go after the bastard responsible for a lot of this mess, don’t we?”

“Where’s Henry?” Eva asked.

“He’s got a thing or two to sort out with the general,” Law answered. “Guess there’s just one thing Henry needed to find out, though I’m not exactly sure how it will help us.”

“We can take anything at this point,” Pekka said.

“So you managed to see both Sorin and Johan before they left, didn’t you?” Mina asked.

“That guy thinks he can just show us all up, doesn’t he,” Gavin said. “Well, I know that we can’t truly corner Harold unless we’ve got the whole place covered. We’ve got to get moving!”

“Calm yourself, bro,” Law said. “We did just run all the way here from the hospital, after all.”

“So it seems,” Eva said. “But we just saw them and we know where we’re going to go next.”

“You do?” Gale asked.

“The only question is where exactly Harold’s hiding,” Eva replied. “Finding that out will give us a good idea how to go forward with a strategy.”

“But we’ve already got a good idea,” Mina said. “We gotta get going towards the Nano District!”

She proceeded to run off in the direction she saw Sorin and Johan head off. It was not a question of if she could catch up to them, but rather if she would be able to help in any way she could. Mina was well aware of how dangerous a person Harold was, but with her friends, she knew that they would have to come up victorious. And with Ayanna on their side, Mina knew that there was an even better chance that they would have the advantage no matter what Harold had ready for them.

 

*****

 

[2nd of January, 2741 AD; on the streets of Gel Heights, Rezar, Iiayikohn – Nano District]

 

Wind blew into Sorin’s face, but that did not deter him from facing forward as Johan drove through the empty streets. Gel Heights remained empty as ever, though Sorin knew that this had to be the place where Harold was hiding. Sorin could feel that they were getting closer, even as the location continued to elude the two. The abandoned buildings made perfect sense for someone like Harold, as they provided a viable hideout like the one in Hurst.

“There’s one thing I’ve got to tell you,” Johan said. “It was only recently that I learned this news, but I think you should know before we confront Harold. It concerns our old friend Korbin.”

“Really?” Sorin asked.

“Yes, it should shed some light on a lot of things,” Johan replied. “As it turns out, Harold is way beyond the point of no return. A man who would kill his own wife and child deserves no pity.”

“What do you plan to do?” Sorin asked. “It’s obvious we’ll have to confront Korbin at some point, but are you saying that there’s much more to him than we thought?”

“Don’t get me wrong, buddy,” Johan said. “Korbin already passed that point a while ago, but he never got to choose for himself. Harold had an entire network that saw to it that Korbin would be willing to do anything that Crawford Bradley told him to do.”

“So is that why you believe he’s acting differently?” Sorin asked. “Because Bradley is dead?”

“That could be the reason,” Johan said. “But whatever the case may be, he’s just as dangerous as he was before. Perhaps even more so now that Harold’s got him underneath his thumb. That threat that he could suffer the same fate as his twin brother probably drives Korbin to fight more than you think.”

“How… How in the world was all of this possible?” Sorin asked. “Wouldn’t we have found out about Harold’s crimes a long time ago?”

“You’re underestimating Isaac’s willingness to protect Harold,” Johan said. “Of course, this lines up with the time where your father confronted him on that ship. Perhaps Kirk knew about it, but didn’t know enough to confirm whether or not it was true…”

As Sorin speculated about Harold’s crimes and how he was able to get away with murder for so long, Johan began to slow the motorcycle down. Soon, the two arrived at a complete stop in front of a large office building, empty as it could be as Johan got off of the motorcycle. Sorin wanted answers, but he knew that they were getting close enough that it did not matter. Now was the time for them to find Harold and stop him before he could slip away once more.

“Our problem lies in front of us,” Johan said.

“You believe they’re hiding in there?” Sorin asked.

He took another look at the building. The broken windows caught Sorin’s eye as well as the large, wooden doors with paint peeling off of them. If Harold was in there along with Korbin, then it would be easy for Sorin and Johan to try and corner them. However, Sorin was certain that Harold would have a trick or two ready for them.

“He’s not going to run,” Johan said. “Not yet, anyway.”

“Then we need to give it our all,” Sorin said. “No more running away… We will make sure that this is the end for Harold Mars.”

 

To be continued…

 

Previous | Next Chapter

Aurora – Chapter 44 (Part 1)

[2nd of January, 2741 AD; outside of the Ameci Embassy, Rezar, Iiayikohn – Deca District]

 

Sorin and Gale arrived outside the Ameci Embassy and caught a glimpse of the commotion inside. It had taken them several minutes to get there from where they started at, but still Sorin did not expect it to be any different. He had many questions that only Isaac Kunigunde could answer for and only so little time for him to answer. So when he and Gale entered the main hall, Sorin was met with a great surprise as several soldiers and General Fercewend crowded together in a huddle. Fercewend was barking orders at the soldiers as they then began running around the embassy with haste.

“Call an ambulance,” Fercewend said, “We’re not going to have a casualty in this embassy. Not here, not now!”

He then knelt down as Sorin proceeded to get a better look. He could not believe what he saw as Isaac Kunigunde lay on the ground in what appeared to be a puddle of his own blood. Gale hurried towards Fercewend as he looked over at her and reacted with great surprise.

“Gale?” Fercewend asked. “What in the world are you doing here?”

“We’re here because we wanted to confront Isaac,” Gale said. “But I can see that that’s not important right now. Is he doing well?”

“He’s still conscious,” Fercewend replied. “It’s a miracle, really.”

Sorin walked up to Isaac and looked down at him. “Who did this?”

“I… I’m not going to answer you,” Isaac said. “I’d rather die than surrender to you…”

“We’re not going to allow you the satisfaction of escaping with your crimes, Isaac,” Gale said. “Once we’re at the hospital, you’re going to confess to all of what you’ve done from the True Thekohnians to the Neu Thekohnian Order, as well as Foundation itself.”

“You… You would stab me?” Isaac asked. “After what I’ve done, you’d still stab me in the back?”

“It’s always been about you, hasn’t it,” Gale said. “Even now, you’re lying on the floor because your selfish ways caught up to you and yet you still think about no one but yourself.”

“Gale, please,” Fercewend said. “Isaac… he’s the victim of an unfortunate encounter with a rogue soldier. I’ll make sure the one responsible is caught and punished severely for his crime.”

“He’s not a victim at all,” Gale replied. “Can’t you see that, Rohan? Isaac is only using you. He’s been using you all this time!”

Fercewend sighed. “I can’t afford to go back now,” he said. “If I must face the consequences, then I will do so, but I’m not going to allow any disruption to the order. Not as long as I’m general.”

“That’s absurd,” Sorin said. “After all that’s happened, you still want to side with him?”

“It’s not as if I’ve got a choice,” Fercewend said. “If you want to say Isaac is guilty, then so be it. But it would also mean that I, too, am complicit.”

“That’s… That’s right,” Isaac said. “No matter what happens next, Rohan will remain loyal to me…”

“So you intend on dragging him down with you to the very end,” Gale said. “Even if that means you’ll go to jail for the rest of your life, you don’t want to be the one to suffer alone.”

“I… I’m not going to suffer,” Isaac replied. “I… My body… I will remain… on top…”

Isaac lifted up his arm, which dropped to the floor the next second. Gale held back a gasp as Fercewend checked his pulse. The sound of sirens began to grow louder as Sorin glanced out the window.

“He’s alive,” Fercewend said, “Though we’re going to need a lot of hope now.”

“Please tell me, Rohan,” Gale said. “If Isaac won’t admit it, then you’ll have to do it instead. You saw what happened to him, right?”

Fercewend stood up with his fist clenched. “That I did,” he replied. “If only I weren’t so hesitant, then maybe Isaac wouldn’t be so wounded right now. Damn my foolishness!”

Gale looked over at Isaac once again. “Who was it that shot him? You did say it was a soldier, after all.”

Before Fercewend could respond, Sorin spoke up.

“I think we already know,” Sorin said. “There’s only one person with a deep connection to Isaac, and he has the exact method to do it.”

“I know,” Gale said. “But Rohan doesn’t want to admit it.”

“It isn’t that I can’t admit it,” Fercewend said. “I don’t want to believe what I saw earlier, but that man with Private Mars… He truly walks again?”

“There’s more to Isaac’s relationship with Harold,” Gale said. “A lot that I believe he never let you in on.”

“I can’t believe it,” Fercewend said. “After all that happened to his family, I could not even begin to imagine that Private Mars would be working alongside his father all this time.”

“Korbin was never in it for Ameci, or anyone, for that matter,” Sorin said. “He only has his own desires to fulfill and I’m sure that some of them relate to what Harold wants as well.”

“And Isaac, I assume, never suspected a thing,” Gale said.

“None of us could,” Fercewend said. “Though it does make me wonder…”

“What is it?” Gale asked.

“It’s nothing,” Fercewend replied. “It appears as if the ambulance is here. Let’s go.”

“Go ahead,” Gale said. “We’ll catch up with you later.”

Fercewend nodded. “Very well.”

Sorin left with Gale as they wondered what to do next. As they stepped onto the sidewalk, they were met with Gavin, Henry, and Law who made it all the way from the new prime minister’s office. As the three looked over towards the ambulance, Sorin and Gale went over to greet them.

“There’s a lot to explain,” Sorin said.

“You’re telling me,” Gavin said. “We’ve got news for you, too.”

“Yeah, some pretty good news, in fact,” Law said. “Gale, are you ready to be wowed by what I’ve got to say?”

“Just say it already,” Gale replied.

“Geez, fine,” Law said. “I was really going to talk up Mina, but I suppose we can only really account everything after the fact.”

Law explained to Sorin and Gale about Dezine’s ousting and what Mina did to insure his removal. With Wilson Dezine gone, another member of Foundation was defeated and Isaac’s power diminished because of it. Still, Sorin felt as if that was not the only news Law had.

“What about Reiss?” Sorin asked.

“What of him?” Law asked. “He’ll be here soon enough, don’t worry.”

“I guess,” Sorin replied.

“You don’t really seem that enthusiastic,” Law said. “Man, we really came at a bad time, didn’t we?”

Everyone turned as the doors to the nearby ambulance opened up. Two paramedics rushed into the embassy with a stretcher as Sorin looked back over to the other three. Gavin, Law, and Henry remained focused as they caught sight of who was being carried out of the embassy, with Fercewend following after the paramedics as he went into the ambulance with them and Isaac.

“He isn’t actually dead, is he?” Henry asked.

Sorin shook his head. “Still stable,” he replied. “Though we’ve still got a lot we want to talk to him about.”

“As well as a lot he has to answer to,” Gale said. “And I’m sure that Queen Amelia wants to let the people know exactly what happened between her and Foundation.”

“I can’t help but feel it’d be better if he actually did die,” Gavin said. “I’m sorry, I’m still pissed off after what happened.”

“This should be good news,” Henry said. “As long as Isaac’s still alive, we’ll be able to hold him accountable for what he’s done.”

“I wonder about that,” Sorin said.

He then explained to the others about how Korbin, directed by Harold, shot Isaac. Sorin surmised that Isaac was supposed to die but Korbin messed up the shot and left with Harold in an instant before they could confirm whether or not Isaac died.

“If I had to guess, it was pressure,” Henry said. “Having that man breathing down your neck can’t be good for you, even for someone like Korbin.”

“He has been acting a lot more paranoid,” Sorin said. “It’s pretty difficult to believe that Korbin could even act that way, but it makes sense.”

“Harold’s ramping up the pressure, that’s why,” Law said. “Whatever that guy wants, no one was offering enough to him. That’s why he saw it fit to have his son attack Isaac.”

“Either way, we’d have to hurry to the hospital,” Henry said. “As long as both Rohan and Isaac are together, Isaac will continue to use him. I’m not about to let him keep doing that.”

“Rohan is set on falling with Isaac no matter what,” Gale said. “Even if he knows that Isaac’s a criminal, I can’t convince Rohan to stop what he’s doing and denounce Isaac.”

“It doesn’t mean we can’t keep trying,” Henry replied. “I’m going to keep believing in my friend even if he can no longer do so, because I know he has done the same for me. Because I know how it feels when everything seems lost.”

“Looks like we should move on, then,” Law said. “I’ll be sure to let Ayanna know where we are.”

Everyone agreed and headed in the direction of Helmut Hospital. Still, the fact that Harold and Korbin were roaming around the city remained prevalent in Sorin’s mind while he walked with his friends. The rule of Foundation seemed to be all but over, but still the lurking terror in the darkness worried Sorin. He had to wonder if Johan was getting any closer to the truth, and if it would be enough to take down the last remaining leg of Foundation.

 

*****

 

[2nd of January, 2741 AD; The Royal Kingdom of Thekohn – Inside Thedam Castle Hall]

 

“Wilson Dezine’s reign is finally over,” Rain said. “I am beyond glad to hear that from you, Mina.”

It had been a long day in the castle as Rain spent most of her time speaking to the other leaders about what to do in Iiayikohn. With the news of Dezine’s fall, however, Rain was ready to turn that discussion towards one of productivity. It all began when Amelia called her earlier in the day. Ahnlikohn’s queen wanted to come forward with everything she knew about Foundation, even if it came at the cost of her own status. Rain agreed, the two settling on the next day for Amelia to inform the citizens of her country about all that had happened and what she had to do next. Still, Rain knew that this was only the first step of many and could not call it a day, not when there was much to resolve with Ameci.

“So I guess we’re just waiting for Reiss, aren’t we?” Mina asked.

“Has he not arrived? I was hoping to speak with him,” Rain said. “Tell him this when he gets to your location: it’s up to him whether or not he wants the task of leading Iiayikohn. Other than that, tell him ‘thank you’ for everything.”

“I’ll be sure to let him know,” Mina replied. “Hope to see you soon!”

“Me too, Mina, me too,” Rain said. “I’ll see you soon.”

She said her goodbyes to Mina and hung up the phone. The empty room was an odd, but welcome, sight. Everyone had gone to take a break from all of the talks, but Rain still remained inside because she was awaiting the call from Rezar. Now that the call was over, however, Rain saw little need to stay in the war room and headed out into the main hall. There, she found Kiku and Noa talking with Khadir, who started to laugh aloud. Gamal was also there, as was Rado, the two speaking with each other as Rain approached them.

“Good news, isn’t it?” Rado asked.

“That’s what we’re hoping for,” Rain said. “It’s all going well, but still we’ve got one last matter of business to take care of before we can truly move forward and bring peace across the region.”

“Indeed, we’ve got Mr. Kunigunde to worry about,” Gamal said. “I wonder what he’s thinking right now with one of his closest allies ousted from power. To be honest with you, I don’t believe he sees it as much of a scratch.”

“He’d drop Dezine in an instant,” Rado said. “Then he’d claim that Dezine was never strong at all. Not worthy.”

“So, Your Majesty, what will be the next course of action?” Gamal asked. “I would think that our priority now is to go forth and confront Ameci’s officials on their actions regarding Mr. Kunigunde, but it’s all up to you.”

“We don’t have much of a clue about Casper Bradley’s whereabouts,” Rain said. “Hasker will also be difficult to reach as he’s still crossing the sea. I believe it would be best if we let the others take care of Mr. Kunigunde right now, because if we don’t, he’ll find a way to escape.”

“She is right,” Rado said.

“Then I hope we’ll find out soon,” Gamal said. “For now, I’ll keep waiting until we hear more from Rezar. I will inform you if anything interesting comes up, Your Majesty.”

“Very well,” Rain said.

“Your Majesty, are you going to just stand there and not pay some mind to our guests of the hour?” Khadir asked.

Rain looked over as Khadir cracked a smile. Kiku and Noa noticed, too, as Kiku motioned to Rain to come over. Rain decided that it was a good time to see for herself what was going on and went over to the three who were still deep in conversation.

“I was just saying to Noa here that he should really think about coming back to Maeitakohn,” Khadir said. “Not forever, obviously, but at least to see all of the sights he’s probably missing.”

“And I was saying to Khaddy that it would be a wonderful idea,” Kiku said. “But I don’t want it to be just us, you know, right Ray?”

“I suppose I do,” Rain replied.

“When this is all over, you and Minnie could join us,” Kiku said. “It’ll be just like a whole trip and everything. We’ll see all the sights in Maeitakohn and have a lot of fun! You could really use it, too!”

“I’ll certainly think about it,” Rain said.

“It would be fun,” Noa said. “Then again, what’s this whole region going to look like after this is all over? I really don’t know…”

“That’s for all of us to figure out,” Rain replied. “We’re here because we’re trying to put an end to the problems at hand. We’re closer now, but questions do remain in regards to what we’re going to do once this is all over.”

“True,” Khadir said. “This is merely the starting point once again. I’m sure with Kunigunde and Foundation both taken down, though, we’ll be able to work together towards peace once more”

“I know that we will,” Rain said. “As long as we have hope, then none of this is impossible.”

Just then, Rado approached the group and interrupted the conversation. Gamal followed behind him as Rain turned towards the two as she wondered to herself what happened now.

“You have a moment, Your Majesty,” Rado said.

“What’s going on now?” Rain asked. “Has something happened in Rezar?”

“Could say that,” Rado replied.

“We just got a call from Ayanna Ansa,” Gamal said. “She wanted to tell you that Mr. Kunigunde is in the hospital right now.”

“Does Ayanna know why he’s in there?” Rain asked.

“That I don’t know yet,” Gamal replied. “According to Miss Ansa, she heard it from Law. Seems like whatever happened to Mr. Kunigunde may turn out to be serious, though.”

“So we don’t know for sure,” Rain said.

“Isaac is a coward,” Rado said. “Whatever is the reason, he must be trying to draw sympathy.”

“Perhaps, but we should gather all the details we can first,” Rain said. “I’ll see if I can reach the hospital.”

“That’d be a good idea,” Gamal said. “Mr. Power should be there as should his brother, according to Miss Ansa.”

“If that’s the case, then I want to know, too,” Khadir said. “Hell, we might even learn a thing or two about what this son of a gun’s going to do now.”

“I feel like I ought to know as well,” Kiku said. “Since I’m next in line to lead Kikuisha, it’d be important to learn this sort of stuff so we can never have to deal with problems like this ever again. Wouldn’t you agree, Nona?”

“If it means no more wars, then I’m all for it,” Noa said.

“Come along, then,” Rain said.

Rain knew that there was much that she wanted to ask but getting answers out of Isaac himself would be a difficult task, even in his fragile state. Still, Rain could not give up. Not when Foundation’s end was nigh. The kingdom depended on Rain and her leadership, and she was not about to let an opportunity like this slip away from her. This was her chance and she had to take it.

 

To be continued…

 

Previous | Next Part

Aurora – Chapter 43 (Part 2)

[2nd of January, 2741 AD; New Prime Minister’s Office, Rezar, Iiayikohn – Deca District]

 

Mina led the group down the halls of the new prime minister’s office as they hurried their way towards Wilson Dezine’s office. Upon reaching the bottom of the stairs, they saw five guards arrive from the second floor. Each one was armed and ready to fight, but Mina knew that she and the others could not afford to waste any time fighting with them. The lead guard cocked his gun with the other four following in succession.

“You’re not going to pass through us,” the guard said.

“Unfortunately for you, we’re in a hurry,” Pekka said. “This defensive hold isn’t going to hold up.”

The front guard aimed at Pekka. “You wish to try me?”

But Pekka had already moved forth and thrust his fist into the guard’s gut, sending him to the floor as he struggled to aim. The other guards tried to follow, but were met with quick action from both Mina and Eva. Pekka and Luna joined in, too, as all four of them knocked out the guards with ease. Mina then went up the stairs, but stopped as Pekka looked over the guns on the ground.

“To think they believed they would stand a chance against us,” Pekka said as he took the time to empty the chamber of each gun. “Even someone like me can see they’re all inexperienced with their guns. Let’s get going.”

As Pekka pocketed the bullets, Mina rushed up the stairs. Dezine’s office was nearby now and only two more guards stood at the top floor. However, Mina knew that this could not be the only security that Dezine had left. She took a look down the hall once more, then over to Eva.

“So far, it’s been too easy,” Mina said.

“You’re suspicious,” Eva replied. “I have to admit that I am suspicious as well. We should continue on with caution.”

“We shouldn’t have to worry, right?” Luna asked. “Ayanna said that she and the others are going to come bursting in at any moment, so that should be really good for us.”

“Don’t speak so loud,” Eva said.

“Oh, um, sorry,” Luna replied.

“Anyway, we should act as if they’ll take a while longer to get here,” Eva said. “This is something we have to take care of right now before Dezine has any chance to retaliate properly. Got that?”

“I do,” Mina said. “We’re going to show him that his corruption is going to come to an end tonight.”

“Then let’s finish this,” Eva said.

Eva jumped ahead with Mina right after her. Luna went next with Pekka in back as the four charged at the two guards by Dezine’s door. As the guards had no time to react, Mina, Eva, Luna, and Pekka made quick work of them and knocked the two guards out cold. Pekka bent down and checked the weapons while Mina placed her hand upon the doorknob. She leaned up against the wall next to the door as Eva readied her sword.

“So far, we’ve managed to not spill any blood,” Eva said. “I’ve held back as much as I could, but beyond that door, I may need to show the sharp edge of my blade to Dezine and his men.”

“I’m just happy to fight alongside you,” Mina replied. “Just being here is an honor and to take down one of the vilest of villains is something I never thought I would have the chance to do. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Eva said.

Pekka stood up with a gun in his hand. “Let’s not dwell too long here,” he said. “Our enemy is on the other side and he knows we’re here by now. If we’re going to bring him down once and for all and free Iiayikohn from Foundation’s grasp, we’ve got to do it now.”

“Of course we have to,” Luna said.

“Then let’s not waste another second!” Mina said.

Mina turned the knob and opened the door. Beyond the barrier, they saw Dezine sitting at his desk with several soldiers at either side. The entire room was crowded with soldiers as they all readied their guns at the group.

“I knew that there was something suspect about this uprising,” Dezine said. “You’re the girl that’s been tagging along with Thedam, aren’t you?”

“So what?” Mina asked. “You’re the one that’s in trouble here!”

“I wonder about that,” Dezine replied. “To think that the queen would go so far as to stage a coup against me is unbearable. I think that the people outside the building should know who exactly is leading this operation, because it sure isn’t in the interests of Iiayikohn’s people for me to step down!”

“Save your words for when you stand trial, you lowly scum,” Eva said. “You had a hand in Alan Berry’s assassination all so you could rise up the ranks.”

“Don’t make me laugh,” Dezine said. “I can tell these guys to fire any time I want; do you think you matter if I care about such a weak man?”

“Alan was far from weak,” Eva said. “He was a much better leader than you and a much better person! The only reason he died was because Isaac Kunigunde needed someone to help fuel his greedy desires for war!”

“Yeah, that’s right,” Luna said.

“I’ve got no interest in that man or what he has to say now,” Dezine said. “I would rather die of thirst than drink the poisoned water he sells.”

“Are you trying to deny your connection to him?” Eva asked. “There’s proof that you and him have been working together for months now, so you’d be wise not to act as if Isaac never contacted you.”

“Oh, I assure you that what I say is true,” Dezine replied. “Isaac Kunigunde is nothing more than a footnote in my legacy. I’m the leader of this country and I will lead by disposing of the trash that infests it! Ready your weapons!”

The soldiers did so and pointed their guns at the four. But before Dezine could give the word, Pekka raised his gun and cocked it.

“You’re nothing more than a failure,” Pekka said. “These soldiers only serve you only because you promised them something in return.”

“Preposterous!” Dezine exclaimed. “Do you expect me to believe such a foul lie such as that?”

“I don’t expect you to believe me,” Pekka replied. “After all, I’m nothing but a criminal in your eyes. However, there’s a much more captivating voice willing to convince these soldiers by your side that they’re nothing more than pawns for your selfish deeds.”

“These men serve under me because they are loyal to Iiayikohn,” Dezine said. “I’ve made no such claim and there’s no way that you can prove it!”

“Maybe we can’t prove it,” Mina said. “Maybe you’re right because there’s no way someone like you would ever dare have their methods questioned.”

“There is no question about it,” Dezine replied. “I am an effective leader!”

“Yet there’s enough to see from your men alone,” Mina said. She took a look around the room at each soldier, then back to Dezine. “Everyone! This villain isn’t fighting for you! He’s only using you!”

There were murmurs within the group of soldiers, each one looking at each other as their weapons began to lower. Dezine observed his soldiers and went in a panic, standing up in the process.

“Don’t… Don’t listen to this idiotic woman,” Dezine said, “She’s only trying to fool you with falsities! Take her out already!”

“They may have carried out your villainous deed, but only because you told them a lie,” Mina said. “I’ve got no idea what, but it has to be something really good if they were willing to work with you!”

“Most likely, it was money,” Eva said. “They may have been hired because they thought they were going to receive some sort of payment for their work.”

“Let’s just ask them,” Pekka said. “How about it, Mina?”

“I’ll ask them,” Mina said.

“No, don’t!” Dezine exclaimed. “Why are you god damn fools so hesitant to shoot? I’ll continue to withhold all of your pay if you don’t!”

“So that’s it,” Mina said. “You’re keeping the money away from them!”

“To think he’d just admit it like it was nothing,” Luna said. “Are any of you really okay with working for a man like this?”

Dezine pounded his desk. “Take your guns and shoot them! Kill them all before I lose my fucking mind! Aim and fire!”

“You lost because a villain like you can never understand what it’s like for regular people,” Mina said. “They’ll never follow your orders now!”

The soldiers then lifted up their guns and aimed at Mina, Eva, Luna, and Pekka. Dezine smirked as Mina stood still. Then, the soldiers turned their aim at Dezine, who began to shake.

“What the hell is this?” Dezine asked. “What in the world are you doing!?”

The tallest soldier stepped forward and poked the barrel of this gun in Dezine’s chest. “I was only in this for the money,” he said. “Just what are you trying to gain from withholding my pay?”

Dezine gulped. “I… I can explain!”

Another soldier poked his gun in Dezine’s back. “Start talking!”

“Well… I thought that I would manage to make the money in time, but it seems like I made an error,” Dezine said. “That mansion had to be completed soon, you know…”

“That’s not good enough,” the tall soldier said. “Do you think a mercenary like me does some damn charity work for some bastard I couldn’t care any less about?”

Dezine whimpered. “N-No… I was going to pay you soon, I promise!”

The back soldier prodded further with his weapon. “That’s a lie if I’ve ever heard one!”

“You better explain what’s going on,” Eva said. “Otherwise this will not end well for you.”

“Just confess, you villain,” Mina said. “And release my uncle from prison, too, while you’re at it!”

“Damn you… Damn you all!” Dezine exclaimed. “Did you believe… I was going to take this like a little bitch? I’ll… I’ll kill you myself if you have to! That’s what I’m going to do!”

Against all the odds, Dezine broke free from the pincer attack and leapt over his desk. He made a quick charge at Mina, who stepped out of the way as Ayanna and Gavin showed up to knock Dezine onto the ground. Dierk arrived as well and handcuffed the prime minister behind his back. Henry and Law were the last to arrive as they got a quick look at the mercenaries in the room.

“We managed to get here just in time,” Henry said.

“You’re all going to hell, all of you!” Dezine exclaimed. “You’ll burn in hell before I ever even set foot in court!”

“Shut the fuck up,” Gavin said. “You pissed us off long enough, and by the looks of it, you managed to piss off those that served only you as well.”

“And if what he said is true, he made an enemy of Isaac as well,” Eva said. “He crumbled before he even had a chance to start his empire.”

“So either way, Isaac’s going to sleep soundly tonight,” Law said. “What an absolute pain.”

“We’ll have to see about that,” Ayanna said. “Sorin and Gale are going after him as we speak.”

“Guess there’s enough time, then,” Law said. “I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to tie up the loose ends. Are you going to be okay here?”

“I think I’ll be fine,” Ayanna said. “We’ve got some back-up coming soon, as well as the fact that the news is traveling fast.”

“Those guards outside will know soon enough,” Henry said as he turned to Mina. “Maybe you ought to give the good word and let the people of Rezar know straight from their hero’s mouth!”

Mina smiled. “It would be a pleasure.”

“Very good,” Henry said. “What of the soldiers there?”

“All hired by Dezine,” Eva replied. “Obviously, they were all in it for the money but never received a single pound.”

“And that’s what brought this jerk down,” Luna said, looking at Dezine. “He was trying to play them all like a bunch of fools but they wised up once they found out the truth!”

“This… This isn’t over!” Dezine said.

“Can you just shut him up already?” Gavin asked Dierk.

“Unfortunately, I can’t,” Dierk replied. “It’s not as if he’ll get anywhere, though, so we’ve got nothing to worry about.”

“This really is a pain, isn’t it,” Gavin said. “Well, I wish you good luck, since it seems like he’s just going to be an asshole the entire way.”

“We’ve still got unfinished business,” Henry said. “We’ve got to catch up to Sorin and Gale and let them know about what happened in Hurst.”

“I guess that’s our cue, then,” Law said. “I expect things to sort out here as we head off. Let General Reiss know I said hello, okay?”

“I’ll let him know,” Ayanna replied.

As Ayanna and Dierk apprehended Dezine, all the mercenaries exited out of the prime minister’s room. There would be an abundance of questions for each one, but Mina knew that Ayanna, Dierk, and Reiss would be able to handle them. What was on Mina’s mind now, though, was letting everyone in Rezar hear of the good news. As she opened the window, Mina let the word of Dezine’s arrest ring through the streets of the city, much to the celebration of the citizens below while the guards at the front lowered their weapons. It was the beginning of a new day in Rezar and Mina was enthusiastic to shout the good word.

 

To be continued…

 

Previous | Next Chapter

Aurora – Chapter 43 (Part 1)

[2nd of January, 2741 AD; outside of the New Prime Minister’s Office, Rezar, Iiayikohn – Deca District]

 

As the night rolled in, a quiet silence surrounded the exterior of the new prime minister’s office. Not a single person could be seen or heard when Ayanna arrived with Dierk and a communicator in tow. Ayanna began to grow suspicious of what was happening, but she knew now that she and the others were closer to taking down Dezine than they ever were before. At least, that was what she had thought. With Johan’s help, Ayanna was able to organize a large group of people ready to lead the charge against the current prime minister. It astounded her how well Johan was able to get these people to protest considering the fact that he did not go with the others to Rezar. Elsewhere, Ayanna had to count on Sorin, Mina, and the others to lead their way into the building. As for her, there was something else that Ayanna had to do, but first she had to confirm something with Dierk.

“Everything went well with Reiss, I assume?” Ayanna asked.

“Affirmative,” Dierk replied. “The general seemed pretty upbeat about our chances, though we still may have to worry about what to do next after we deal with Dezine.”

“That’s something we can talk about once we’re finished,” Ayanna said. “As far as we’re concerned, our main priority remains taking on the prime minister. Never in my life did I think that I would have to utter those words, but we’ve got no choice and no way to turn back now.”

“It is tough,” Dierk said. “Even if we oust him overnight, how Dezine rose to power will remain a stain on this country’s history.”

“Not as if Iiayikohn was clean before then,” Ayanna said. “If only Alan were still around, then we wouldn’t be here right now participating in the coup.”

“He kept things in order, for sure,” Dierk replied.

“Which is why I can never forgive Dezine,” Ayanna said. “He and Isaac are the reason why Alan is no longer around. To think that a single member of the Iiayi government would willingly plot the assassination of the prime minister is beyond reprehensible.”

“Certainly, he will have to pay for what he’s done,” Dierk said.

Ayanna looked back at the building on the other side of the street and continued to wait for the next move. Soon enough, she and Dierk could hear the sounds of people chanting. As they both looked down the street, a large group of people walked down the street towards the prime minister’s office. Within that group were a couple of faces that Ayanna recognized: Law, Gavin, and Henry. At just the right time, those three had returned from Hurst in order to help lead the charge against Wilson Dezine.

“Over here!” Ayanna said as she waved over to Law.

Law hurried over while both Gavin and Henry followed.

“The people are rising up, it seems,” Law said. “I suppose I’ve to hand it to Joahn… Getting this many people organized had to be quite a task in such a short amount of time.”

“He does have that group,” Henry said. “The Moonlit Silence is always working even if we’re not a witness to their methods.”

“Guess there is some merit to Johan keeping his big plans a secret,” Gavin said. “Say, Ayanna, are we about ready to lead this charge or what?”

Ayanna looked down at the communicator. “We’re waiting for the guards to show up,” she said. “Once we’ve got the attention of Dezine’s guards, I’ll go and give the word to Sorin and Mina.”

“Good,” Henry said. “I can already hear the people calling for Dezine. A lot of calls for him to surrender himself, sounds like.”

“I wonder if that’s gonna make him use his protection powers,” Law said. “This many people going up against the big man himself? Well, he’s going to have plenty to deal with, but we know that the good people of Rezar aren’t going to go down without a fight.”

The chants grew louder, with each person facing the front doors of the new prime minister’s office calling out Dezine by name. As the streetlights lit up, the doors to the office opened up as several soldiers spilled out onto the streets. The group of protestors, however, did not stop.

“That’s our cue,” Henry said.

Ayanna picked up the receiver. “I’m going to contact Sorin now,” she said. “Hopefully this is enough to help them get inside.”

 

*****

 

On the other end of the building, Mina, Eva, Pekka, and Luna all waited outside on the opposite side of the street. Dustin looked at the communicator that was given to them by Ayanna as it chirped on and picked it up. He eyed the back doors as he placed the receiver close to his mouth.

“Dustin here,” he said. “Are we ready to storm the castle?”

“Yes, yes we are,” Ayanna said. “But I thought that Sorin would be the one to answer. Do you mind putting him on?”

“Yeah, about that,” Dustin said.

“Hold on,” Mina said, grabbing the receiver out of Dustin’s hand. “Ayanna, it’s me. We’re out here, ready to go when you are!”

“What about Sorin?” Ayanna asked.

“Oh right, I guess we should have contacted you about that,” Mina replied. “Sorin and Gale aren’t here.”

“Sorry about that!” Dustin said.

“She can’t hear you,” Eva said. “Mina, just tell her already.”

Mina nodded. “Okay, well, you know how Johan said that he wanted to do his own thing?”

“Of course I know,” Ayanna said. “Don’t tell me Sorin decided to go with him…”

“Well, not exactly,” Mina replied. “He said that he wanted to go after Isaac himself, and I guess Gale decided to go along with him.”

“That doesn’t make sense,” Ayanna said.

“You’re telling me,” Dustin said. “Guy was all about doing this together and now he’s off on the trail of the mastermind of this whole operation?”

“They were talking to themselves on the way here,” Luna said. “Sorin and Gale talking with each other, saying to us that it was nothing, yet now they’re the ones all after Isaac now. We don’t even know what to expect now!”

“It means Sorin has an idea and he doesn’t want to go and put us at risk,” Pekka said. “Though that doesn’t explain why Gale wanted to go with him. It’ll be dangerous either way and she’s not a fighter at all.”

“You should have some faith in them,” Eva said.

“Mina, where exactly are Sorin and Gale right now?” Ayanna asked.

“There’s really only one place I can think of off the top of my head,” Mina said, “And that’s the Ameci Embassy.”

“I see,” Ayanna replied. “Thank you.”

“What are you going to do now?” Mina asked.

“I’m helping lead the charge, of course,” Ayanna said. “Johan managed to help stir up a group of people just outside the door… It’s impressive.”

“I knew we could count on him,” Mina said. “I knew that Johan had a pure, heroic heart all this time!”

“So there’s a lot of commotion, then,” Pekka said. “Guess we made Dezine turn his head just enough for us to waltz in.”

“Good luck, guys,” Dustin said. “I’ll stay back here just in case… Don’t want to push things further, you know.”

“Well, if we need help, then you better be ready to come rushing in,” Eva said. “Let’s get going already, Mina.”

“Of course,” Mina replied. “We’ll see you on the inside, Ayanna!”

“We will see you in a moment,” Ayanna said.

With that, Mina shut off the communicator and handed it to Dustin. There was only one goal on Mina’s mind right now and that was to take down Wilson Dezine. Once that was taken care of, Mina was sure to hurry over to the Iiayine Prison and rescue her uncle. With the back entrance to the office unguarded, the group hurried their way inside as no one could stop them now.

 

*****

 

[2nd of January, 2741 AD; Ameci Embassy, Rezar, Iiayikohn – Deca District]

 

Rohan Fercewend looked down the hall as people in the embassy bustled about. A lot had changed in such a short amount of time and staff members were trying their best to keep up. Even Fercewend himself felt it all come to a sudden shock once Casper Bradley confessed. All it took was hearing the news of his son’s death and Casper broke down. Still, it felt odd to Fercewend that all of this had taken place in the same amount of time that Dezine turned his back on Ameci. It was something that Fercewend wanted to know more about. What could possibly be gained from such a move? Fercewend felt as if he had only Isaac to believe in during this turbulent time and little time outside of work to actually speak to him now that Casper had been removed from his position.

“Ah, Rohan, what’s got you thinking at a time like this?” Isaac asked.

Almost like it was on cue, Fercewend turned and saw Isaac at the top of the stairs. The reassurance that everything would work out returned. Now that Isaac was here, Fercewend knew that he could focus.

“It’s nothing,” Fercewend replied. “I’m just merely thinking about all that has happened within the past couple of days.”

“It has been quite a wild turn of events,” Isaac said. “Men looking to bite the hand that feeds them just because they feel as if their bellies have yet to be full, only to get punished in the end! Truly this is an interesting time for Mr. Dezine over at the prime minister’s office.”

“What do you mean?” Fercewend asked.

“Have you been so lost in thought that you’ve lost course of the direction of the wind? Go and take a look outside,” Isaac said.

Fercewend did as Isaac suggested and went over to the nearest window. He then saw out on the street a group of people outside marching towards the new prime minister’s office, chanting for Dezine’s removal.

“They’re protestors?” Fercewend asked.

“Dezine wanted action,” Isaac said. “Well, he’s about to get what he wants, though I can’t say he doesn’t deserve it.”

“It’s… unheard of,” Fercewend said. “I know that there has been unrest in the region before, but I didn’t think that it would arrive here.”

“Come now, you said it yourself,” Isaac replied. “Dezine betrayed the order and now he’s going to pay for it dearly.”

“Then he’s already fallen?”

“God has abandoned him,” Isaac said. “That dear friend of mine… heh, I’m amazed at the things he told me.”

“I wonder what happens next,” Fercewend said.

“Someone will clean the mess Dezine created,” Isaac said. “That much I can assure you.”

“You assure me of that?” Fercewend asked.

“Believe in the process, Rohan,” Isaac said. “It’s not that we failed Dezine, but rather he failed himself. Iiayikohn’s next prime minister will not be as big a fool, you can bet on that.”

“You sound sure of it,” Fercewend said. “Then I am inclined to believe in what you say.”

“As you should,” Isaac replied. “A good president listens to his most trusted advisor, after all.”

Fercewend turned away from the window. “May I ask you something?”

“What’s on your mind now?” Isaac asked.

“When President Hasker arrives, I will resume my position as the general, correct?”

“With things as they stand, that will be the case,” Isaac replied. “Obviously, we should be grateful for his awaited return to power.”

“Of course,” Fercewend replied. “I’m just wondering if there was a way I could assist him further. I want to help Ameci in any way I can, because I know that that’s what’s expected of me.”

“Don’t worry too much about that,” Isaac said. “As of now, Piere is Ameci’s president, though he is not acting. That would be you.”

“I know.”

“But this is the important part,” Isaac continued, “Hasker’s term is set to end in a year. Given all that has happened, I’m sure that the good people of our country would want a new face at the top.”

“So that’s where I would come in,” Fercewend said.

“You’re getting it, and quite well, I may add,” Isaac said. “Yes, if all goes as planned, we’ll be able to have you run for the highest position of power in Ameci should Hasker not be up to task.”

“That sounds good.”

“You just have to believe in me and let the process sort everything out,” Isaac said. “As long as you do that, then there’s absolutely nothing that cannot be accomplished under your name, Rohan!”

Isaac’s encouragement convinced Fercewend that he too would be able to accomplish anything. With an ally like him, there was little that Fercewend could not do and a lot that he could. Even the power of president would be in his grasp as long as Isaac was there to guide him along the way. But as those thoughts went to his head, Fercewend heard the creaking of a door in the now silent embassy. He looked around and down the stairs, but no one was there.

“Wait right here,” Isaac said.

“What’s going on?” Fercewend asked.

“It’s nothing important,” Isaac replied. “Please, go on with what you were doing before, Rohan; I’ll be back in a moment.”

Fercewend could not help but watch as Isaac went down the stairs. The curiosity behind the sudden silence and immediate change caused Fercewend to follow Isaac down the steps a few feet away. As he got closer to the bottom of the stairs, however, Fercewend caught a glimpse of an unbelievable sight. At the entrance stood Korbin Mars pointing a gun at Isaac.

“What… What in the world are you doing!?” Isaac asked.

A deep laughter echoed across the hall as Harold entered the embassy. The mere sight of the man caused Fercewend to hesitate. He knew the face looked too familiar, but could not believe what he was seeing.

“The curtain’s closing, Isaac Kunigunde,” Harold said. “Your assistance is no longer needed.”

“I-Impossible!” Isaac exclaimed. “We still have plenty of time for our plan to work! You yourself told me that just yesterday, Harold!”

“How peculiar,” Harold said. “I don’t believe that I ever said something like that to you.”

“It doesn’t mean shit now,” Korbin said, his aim shaking. “Once I’m done… Once I’m done with you here, I’m gonna make sure that everything goes just like my dad planned!”

Isaac took a step back. “You wouldn’t dare!”

“God was never on your side,” Harold said. “In fact, you were just a mere tool to be used. To think that you would be so delusional to believe that you’d make it with spilling your own blood is laughable at best.”

“Give me a break,” Isaac replied. “This… This is a violation of our trust and you know it!”

“Just like with you and Casper, or with you and Dezine,” Harold said. “Or were you planning to go against god, too? I’m not afraid of the extreme, I’ll have you know.”

Harold headed for the door as Korbin kept his focus on Isaac. Fercewend wanted to jump in to save Isaac, but with Harold’s threatening presence, he did not want to jeopardize his one chance. That was, until Harold looked over to the stairs and spotted Fercewend.

“Do it,” Harold said to Korbin. “Let Mr. Kunigunde feel the despair grow as he dies knowing his own family betrayed him.”

Fercewend took that chance to move. He hurried over to Isaac’s side in order to protect him, but by then, the shot had already rang out. Everything had stopped as Fercewend watched Isaac drop to the ground. Time seemed to freeze while Fercewend could only blame himself for not acting sooner. He looked over to the entrance once again, but saw that both Harold and Korbin had made their exit. As he clenched his fist, Fercewend heard a weak cough coming from Isaac and checked in on him once more. The general tended to Isaac as he continued to bleed from out of the wound in his abdomen and onto the floor.

 

To be continued…

 

Previous | Next Part

Aurora – Chapter 42 (Part 2)

[2nd of January, 2741 AD; Open Area Shopping District, Helm, Ahnlikohn]

 

After a fulfilling lunch, Sorin and the others decided to take a stroll through the nearby shopping district. However, their stroll was short-lived once they saw Ayanna arrive with Dierk. Sorin had to wonder how long lunch went, but given both Johan and Mina’s appetites, it had to have lasted longer than he thought. He waved to both Ayanna and Dierk as the two went over to the group.

“I was wondering where you were,” Ayanna said.

“How long were you here?” Sorin asked.

Dierk looked at his pocket watch. “I’d say about close to an hour,” he said. “Fifty-seven minutes, to be exact.”

“We didn’t realize that you guys were waiting for so long!” Mina said. “If that was the case, then we should’ve found you two first so we could’ve had lunch together.”

“Thank you, but we already ate before arriving here,” Ayanna replied. “So it seems you’re still at a loss, aren’t you?”

“That’s what it looks like,” Sorin said. “We were too busy eating to even think about how we were going to enter Iiayikohn.”

“Just because we weren’t talking about the mission doesn’t mean I wasn’t thinking about our next move,” Johan said.

“If you have something to say, then say it,” Pekka said. “Don’t leave us in the dark, Johan.”

“I wouldn’t leave you in the dark without giving you a source of light first,” Johan replied. “That is to say that I think I have an idea about how we can get into Iiayikohn without much hassle.”

“I’d prefer no hassle at all, but I’m interested in hearing what you’ve got to say,” Ayanna said.

“Right now, our current headcount is ten altogether,” Johan said. “That is to say that I’m including the two of you into our group.”

“So we’ve got a good amount of people,” Mina said. “Ten heroes is a good, even number that no villain can stop!”

“Indeed, having the numerical advantage is optimal,” Ayanna said, “But we aren’t dealing with just one person.”

“It’s just as I thought,” Johan said. “Sometimes the best answer usually is the easiest. Thank you, Ayanna.”

“You’re welcome, though I didn’t say much beyond the fact that we’re going up against multiple people in this organization,” Ayanna replied. “Are you trying to suggest that we’re better if we split up?”

“I’m not necessarily saying that,” Johan said.

“Then what are you trying to suggest?” Eva asked.

“If we just go after Wilson Dezine, Isaac Kunigunde will try to run away from his failure,” Johan said. “We can’t just lock down a single target without first trying to make sure the other target doesn’t evade us. That was what let Isaac get away with what he’s done up to this point.”

“It still sounds to me as if you want us to split up,” Ayanna said.

“Well, if you want to consider it that way, then yes,” Johan said. “Right now, the goal is to defeat Isaac Kunigunde. He’s the one that carries the most influence and the one with the most to lose should everything fail for him.”

“What’s the angle here?” Pekka asked.

“You want an easier way to get into Iiayikohn, don’t you?” Johan asked. “I think there is much to be said if a wanted man like myself makes his presence known to the entirety of an Ameci-occupied country and enters alone.”

Sorin looked over to Johan. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying, Johan?”

“An entire group of us will draw attention, sure, but to the Ameci military, I’m the one that they want,” Johan said. “To Isaac, all I am is nothing more but an existential threat to what he’s trying to do. He’ll obviously try to use his power to try and direct the general into capturing me, if not worse.”

“That’s… That’s beyond insanity!” Luna said. “I don’t want you to do this, not after we just lost Jelka! I don’t want this at all!”

“Surely this is some sort of bluff to try and get us to come up with a better idea,” Sorin said. “That’s gotta be what you’re saying, right?”

“I don’t think he’s trying to bluff us,” Eva said.

“You don’t?” Dustin asked. “Because even as a bluff, it’s quite a reckless one to make… You do know what will happen once Ameci’s sending its soldiers after you, you know that, don’t you?”

“I’ve already said that,” Johan replied. “I’m not going to stop in pursuing my goal, even if it brings me pain and misfortune. I already know what it’s like to come close to death itself, so I’ve got no reason to fear the Ameci military.”

“But what about Jelka?” Sorin asked. “After what she did to save us, you’d just risk it all?”

“I never said I was going to die, nor did I imply I’m afraid of it,” Johan said. “All I’m saying is that I’m willing to suffer in order to accomplish my goals. There is no way I can back down.”

He began to walk away from the group, only to turn back and shrug. Sorin could not stop Johan now, though he wanted to try. If there was any way to stop Johan from risking his own life, Sorin knew that it was right now that he had to do it.

“I’m not going to let you do this alone,” Sorin said. “If you insist on drawing Isaac Kunigunde’s attention, then I want to help you out at the very least.”

“Not you too, Sorin,” Gale said. “It won’t do us any good if you both throw yourselves at Isaac so recklessly.”

“She’s right,” Johan said. “This is something I’ve got to do on my own. If it gets out of hand, then we’d both be screwed.”

“It’s better than going by yourself,” Sorin replied. “Besides, if it’s going to get rough, then you’re going to need someone to fight alongside you.”

“Maybe it’s just me, but I think you’re trying to talk me out of this,” Johan said as he tried to hold back a chuckle. “You wouldn’t suggest coming along with me if I hadn’t said anything first.”

“Please, there has to be another way,” Sorin said. “I know you can think of something that doesn’t involve you risking yourself. Just… for all of our sakes, I want you to reconsider.”

“Regardless of what we do, there will always be a risk when we’re dealing with Foundation,” Johan replied. “Be it Korbin or be it the Ameci military, we’re going into battle against an enemy that has us in their crosshairs.”

“Perhaps it’s time we begin drawing up our plan,” Ayanna said. “Talking will only get us so far and this is not the place to plan our next move.”

“So it seems,” Johan said. “Very well, then we’ll go and find a place where we can straighten out our plan of attack.”

“That sounds like a good idea to me,” Mina said. “But we’d better hurry up, though!”

“Given what’s at stake, I’m sure we’ll come up with a plan that everyone can agree with,” Johan said. “You think so too, don’t you, Sorin?”

Sorin had to agree. He had to if they wanted to move forward. With the uncertainty surrounding the Iiayikohnian border, there was only so much time that they could spend. With Ayanna and Dierk, though, Sorin was sure that they could help devise a pathway back into Iiayikohn. But what still concerned Sorin was the fact that Johan did not bend in his will to go it on his own and draw out Isaac by himself. Whatever Isaac had lying in wait next, Sorin was certain that it would prove to be devastating, especially if it happened to involve Korbin and Harold Mars.

 

*****

 

[2nd of January, 2741 AD; Burning Light Lane, Hurst, Iiayikohn]

 

Gavin had no idea what to expect when he arrived in Hurst with Law and Henry, but he did not expect to see a mass of officers occupy the area on Burning Light Lane. Once he got a look at the scene, however, Gavin understood. A crowd of people began to form, which had to be most of the citizens of the small town as they all appeared to wonder what just struck them.

“This is quite a shocking turn of events,” Henry said.

“You’re telling me,” Gavin said. “What happened here?”

“Well, why don’t we ask someone with a little more knowledge than us,” Law said. “With this many people in the area, we’d at least get a little rundown about what happened before we got here.”

As Law proceeded to ask around, Gavin tried to get a better look between the gaps in the crowd. The officers surrounded the block with their vehicles while they kept the crowd at bay, but Gavin could tell that something major had taken place. There was only one reason why officers of the Iiayikohnian military would show up in Hurst, which meant that it had to do with Harold somehow.

“Have you got a good view yet?” Henry asked.

“I think we’re too late,” Gavin said. “If you ask me, Harold definitely had a hand in what happened here.”

“I wonder if he was aware of the fact that we were after him,” Henry said. “If that’s the case, then it’s likely he brought down his own hideout in order to get away from us.”

“It doesn’t make sense, though,” Gavin said. “Why would he do such a thing when it would mean that he’d draw attention to himself.”

“True, that’s the contradiction with my theory,” Henry replied. “However, what if he had no choice?”

“I think I understand what you’re asking,” Gavin said. “Sorin’s brother… If he was here, then it’s possible.”

But Gavin knew there was nothing conclusive to the idea, at least not yet. As he wondered what exactly transpired, Law returned to the two as he tried to get Gavin’s attention.

“Yo, it seems like we’ve got trouble on our hands,” Law said.

“I can tell that just by looking,” Gavin replied. “Did you manage to gather anything important?”

“Well, it looks like that entire block was decimated with explosives,” Law answered. “Though from what I’ve gathered from the people here, all of those buildings seemed to be abandoned long ago.”

“Abandoned, you say?” Henry asked.

“That’s what I got from the people I spoke with,” Law said. “You do know what that means, don’t you?”

“We were a step too late,” Gavin said.

“There was no way we had a clue,” Henry said. “All it means is that Harold is on the run now. He knows we’re getting closer to the truth.”

“You sound pretty confident about it,” Gavin said. “But now I want to know how in the hell he blew up the whole place.”

“Maybe it’d do us good if we asked one of the officers,” Henry said.

“Sure about that?” Law asked. “The ones in Rezar weren’t so nice to us over in the prison.”

“Just let me ask the questions,” Henry said. “I’m sure it wouldn’t hurt to ask that officer over there a simple question.”

He walked over to the officer closest to the crowd and whistled to get his attention. The officer turned to his direction and waved over at him. Gavin and Law followed him as they confronted the officer in front.

“Do you mind if I ask you a question, sir?” Henry asked.

“If this is for some sort of press, then I can’t take a question,” the officer replied. “Even we’re trying to figure out exactly what’s going on.”

“We’re not with any press, we just want a basic idea about what happened here,” Henry said. “Just from looking at it, it’s pretty obvious something nefarious took place here.”

“If you ask me, none of it makes any sense,” the officer said.

“Well, what about the buildings?” Gavin asked. “They were all abandoned from what we’ve heard. Do you think it was planned?”

“I don’t believe that it was a planned thing, no,” the officer answered. “No one in this town has indicated that there were any plans for a demolition of those buildings.”

“I see,” Gavin said.

“I’ve one more question for you, officer,” Henry said. “Did anyone happen to live in those buildings, and if so, are they here?”

The officer shook his head. “I doubt it.”

“Why do you doubt it?” Henry asked. “Even if those buildings were all abandoned, that doesn’t mean no one was there.”

“We’d have to find out for ourselves, then,” the officer said.

Almost as if on cue, another officer called out to the man. Gavin, Law, and Henry all looked to see the second officer arrive with something in her hand. It took Gavin one look to see for himself and realize what it was the female officer was holding.

“That… That sword,” Gavin said. “That sword looks familiar.”

The other officer turned to Gavin with the broken sword in her hand clear in view. “Do you know something about it?”

“Henry, you recognize that, don’t you?” Gavin asked. He looked back to the officer. “Where did you find it?”

“It was underneath some of the rubble,” the female officer said. “We’re still uncovering, but what we do know is that there is someone underneath.”

“Someone underneath the rubble?” Henry asked. “Who is it?”

“We haven’t identified him yet,” she replied, “But what I can say for certain is that this man is dead.”

Henry took a deep breath and sighed. “Thank you, both of you,” he said, turning back to Gavin and Law as he began to walk away. “I was wondering what happened to him, and it seems like we’ve got our answer.”

“What are you doing?” Gavin asked, catching up with Henry. “Are you just going to walk away like that without any other question?”

“Do you think we’ve got any other thing to do here?” Henry asked. “This is as far as we can go here if you ask me.”

“But the sword!” Gavin exclaimed. “That’s Rysol’s sword, damn it!”

“It is,” Henry said. “There’s nothing we can do right now and to stay here any longer would be detrimental.”

“So we’re just going to head back, then,” Gavin said. “Are we not even going to tell Sorin about what happened here?”

“We’ll let him know soon enough,” Henry replied. “But Rysol is a different case from Kirk, and I don’t need to tell you why that is.”

Law placed his hand on the side of his forehead. “It may sound cold, bro, but we’ve got no choice,” he said. “We have to leave Rysol here even though we know very little about why he was here or how he died.”

“Fine,” Gavin replied. “But I’m going to be the one to tell Sorin, got it? He needs to know what happened here… He needs to know that Rysol came here because he pursued the truth.”

“Of course,” Henry said. “I’ll leave it all up to you.”

The three continued to walk away from the scene of the destruction and headed for the car. But even though Gavin had promised that he would be the one to inform Sorin about Rysol’s death, Gavin knew that the news would not be any easier to bear as yet another loss came by the hands of Harold Mars. The ever growing threat that man posed was becoming more and more apparent with each passing moment and Gavin knew that it was only a matter of time before he tried to strike again.

 

To be continued…

 

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